Effective January 1, 2008
MAMSI /Optimum Choice Health Plan COBRA Information for Housestaff
Under a Federal law called the "Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act" (COBRA), you and your eligible covered dependents may continue your group health benefits under the Plan when your coverage is lost due to a "Qualifying Event." You and your spouse and/or dependent children must apply for coverage under COBRA following the Qualifying Event. Then, you must make monthly payments in order to keep your coverage.
Qualifying Event |
Who May Purchase Continuation Coverage |
Duration of Continuation Coverage |
Your employment terminates |
You, your spouse and your dependent children who were covered under the Plan when coverage was lost |
18 months |
Your working hours are reduced, i.e., you become a part-time Employee |
You, your spouse and your dependent children who were covered under the Plan when your status changed |
18 months |
You experience a termination or reduction in hours while you are disabled (as determined by the Social Security Administration) |
You, your spouse and your dependent children |
29 months (18 months plus an additional 11 months) |
You divorce, or your marriage is annulled |
Your spouse and your dependent children who were covered under the Plan at the time of divorce, marriage or annulment |
36 months |
Your dependent child no longer qualifies as a dependent |
Your dependent child |
36 months |
You die |
Your spouse and your dependent children who were covered under the Plan at the time of your death |
36 months |
What You Need to Do
Housestaff Members enrolled in the MAMSI /Optimum Choice Plans must wait for your COBRA Qualifying Event Notification Letter to come to your home address from Chard Snyder before you can enroll in COBRA. If you are moving, Housestaff should notify Medical Center Human Resources Office of your address change to ensure COBRA documents will be sent to the correct address.
Chard Snyder will send a COBRA Qualifying Event Notification, COBRA Enrollment Form, COBRA Family Member Enrollment Form, and COBRA Premium Computation Form to the MAMSI/Optimum Choice subscriber once your termination is entered by your department. You must complete these forms and return them to Chard Snyder. Enrollment in the COBRA program will not occur unless premium payment accompanies the enrollment forms. Housestaff have 60 days from the date of the letter of Notification or the date of the Qualifying Event, whichever is greater, to return the COBRA forms. You must pay all back premiums before any COBRA enrollment will take place.
Cost of Coverage
- 2008 COBRA premiums for Housestaff enrolled in Optimum Choice or MAMSI :
Housestaff Optimum Choice (HMO) monthly rates are:
Single $338.30
Employee+1 $707.42
Family $961.64
Housestaff MAMSI (PPO) monthly rates are:
Single $392.46
Employee+1 $821.13
Family $1114.88
Housestaff on the HMO are only covered for emergencies when you travel or move outside the HMO provider area. If a housestaff family is moving early in June and wants more than emergency care during that month (for example, if there is a pregnancy involved), the housestaff will need to submit a form BY MAY 31 to move to the PPO plan (moving out of the service area is a mid-year qualifying event) since all applications are effective the 1st of the month following receipt of the form. PPO premiums will be deducted from housestaff paychecks for the month of June.
If you are a Housestaff currently enrolled in the HMO and are moving out of the Mid-Atlantic area where providers participate with the HMO (Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C.), you will need to move from the HMO to the PPO to receive COBRA coverage from a national network of providers. You should call Chard Snyder (1-800-982-7715) when you receive your Qualifying Event Notice to let them know you must switch to the PPO.
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