Q:  Hello, I have an employee's x-wife that is covered by COBRA under group health insurance. I am in the process of changing medical carriers for this group and move regular active employees as well as the COBRA participants. One of the COBRA participants is basically unreachable/unresponsive about sending in the new carrier’s application (that I have mailed to her 2 times via return receipt etc.) I do not have current phone numbers to contact her either - and have tried all viable numbers that I had for her in the past. Her COBRA premiums are being paid by some third-party check (unknown to us) and do not have any contact information on it. If this is a case, where I would be able to remove/terminate her from the group contract???? Please advise. Thanks.

 
A:   A qualified beneficiary can only lose their COBRA coverage for the reasons listed below.

1.  The premiums were not paid in a timely manner.

2.  When the employer has ended their group health plan and it is no longer available to the whole company.

3.  The qualified beneficiary has become insured with another group health plan after the COBRA election date, and that policy does not have a preexisting limitations or exclusions.

4.  The qualified beneficiary has been entitled to Medicare after the COBRA has been elected.

5.  The maximum time period has been met.

For more specific answers to your questions you may want to call the Department of Labor at 1-866-487-2365 or visit the web site at www.dol.gov