Continuation Coverage benefits are temporary.
Eighteen months: If you, your spouse or your dependent children become eligible for COBRA Continuation Coverage due to the termination (either voluntary or involuntary) of your employment for a reason other than retirement or a reduction in your hours, Continuation Coverage may continue for up to 18 months.
Thirty-six months: If you retire from your position, or if your spouse or your dependent children become eligible for COBRA Continuation Coverage due to your retirement, death, the loss of dependent status, your divorce or the remarriage of you or your ex-spouse, Continuation Coverage may continue for up to 36 months.
Twenty-nine months: Any beneficiary who is determined under title II or XVI of the Social Security Act to have been disabled at any time during the first 60 days of Continuation Coverage shall be eligible for up to 29 months of Continuation Coverage, but only if the qualified beneficiary notifies the Fund before the end of the initial 18 months. The premium for this 11 month extension will be 150% of the cost of the plan. This 11 month extension of the usual 18 month Continuation Coverage period is available to all the qualified beneficiaries covered on the Continuation Coverage plan from the date of the qualifying event.
You, your spouse or your dependent children will lose Continuation Coverage if:
- the Fund no longer provides benefits; or
- you, your spouse or your dependent children fail to promptly pay the monthly Continuation Coverage premium. Failure to pay your monthly Continuation Coverage premium by the eind of the 30-day grace period will result in a permanent loss of coverage; or
- you, your spouse or your dependent children become covered under any other group plan which provides the same benefits offered by this plan (e.g. you transfer to a management position and are covered by the Group Insurance Commission dental plan; you transfer to a position in another Bargaining Unit which offers dental benefits; or you begin a new job which offers a plan with similar benefits); or
- you, your spouse, or your dependent child(ren) engages in conduct that would justify the plan in terminating coverage of a similarly situated participant or beneficiary not receiving Continuation Coverage (such as fraud); or
- in the case of 29 months of Continuation Coverage, the qualified beneficiary ceases to be disabled as determined under title II or XVI of the Social Security Act. The Fund must be notified of this cessation of disabled status within 30 days of the determination.