How long does a qualified beneficiary have to elect COBRA coverage?

How long does a qualified beneficiary have to elect COBRA coverage?

• A. 60 days from the later of the qualifying event or COBRA election notice.
• B. 30 days after the event.
• C. 6 months.
• D. 60 days from the earlier of the qualifying event or election notice.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is the election window for COBRA coverage. A qualified beneficiary has 60 days to elect COBRA, and that period starts on the later of two dates: the date the qualifying event occurs or the date the COBRA election notice is provided. This “later of” rule protects you by giving you a full 60-day window even if the notice arrives after the event. If you don’t elect within that window, the right to COBRA can be lost. For example, if the qualifying event happens on June 1 and you receive the election notice on June 15, your deadline is 60 days after June 15. If the event occurs after you’ve received notice, you still use the later date to start the 60-day countdown. The other timeframes don’t fit because they either start counting from the wrong date or don’t reflect the need to consider when notice is provided.

The key idea is the election window for COBRA coverage. A qualified beneficiary has 60 days to elect COBRA, and that period starts on the later of two dates: the date the qualifying event occurs or the date the COBRA election notice is provided. This “later of” rule protects you by giving you a full 60-day window even if the notice arrives after the event. If you don’t elect within that window, the right to COBRA can be lost.

For example, if the qualifying event happens on June 1 and you receive the election notice on June 15, your deadline is 60 days after June 15. If the event occurs after you’ve received notice, you still use the later date to start the 60-day countdown.

The other timeframes don’t fit because they either start counting from the wrong date or don’t reflect the need to consider when notice is provided.