Grad Employee COBRA
After you lose your eligibility for Trust Fund benefits, you are able to extend your dental and vision plans for up to 18 months by paying the premiums yourself.
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan for limited periods of time under certain circumstances such as voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked, transition between jobs, death, divorce, and other life events. Qualified individuals may be required to pay the entire premium for coverage up to 102 percent of the cost to the plan." (http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/health-plans/cobra.htm)
Your dental & vision plans are subject to the COBRA law, because you receive these benefits by virtue of your employee status. Unfortunately, your student health plan is provided by virtue of your student status and is not subject to the COBRA provision.
Of the Trust Fund benefits offered, only the dental and vision plans are subject to COBRA--the wellness and childcare reimbursements and other Trust Fund benefits are not subject to COBRA extension.
COBRA Extension Coverage
2022-23 COBRA Rates
Altus Dental
Single: $29.87/month
Single + 1: $59.82/month
Family $102.67/month
EyeMed Vision
Single: $4.00/month
Single + 1: $7.59/month
Family $11.15/month
All rates above include a 2% administrative fee. Rates effective 9/1/22.
COBRA Application & Payments
The COBRA application is due within 60 days after your loss of coverage date. Please complete the application and send a request for a secure email to uawdental@external.umass.edu) Once you receive the secure email, you can reply directly with your form attached.
COBRA Payments
All COBRA participants are required to sign up for recurring, automatic bill payment offered as a free service through PayPal in order to make monthly premium payments. Premium payments are due on the first of each month of coverage and timely payments are a condition of maintaining coverage. Both the participant and the Trust Fund have the ability to stop recurring payments at any time by contacting PayPal. No other payment methods are available.