Cobra gives employees and their families who lose insurance benefits the right to choose to continue coverage under the group health plan benefits. 

Insurance ends the last day of the month in which you retire.  If your contract pays through the summer, your insurance will end August 31.  The effective date for Cobra will be the day following the last date of coverage.

PEHP will continue to administer the plan and Discovery Benefits will manage the Cobra.  The Cobra paperwork will be mailed to you between the middle of the month you terminate and the middle of the first month of coverage.

You will have 60 days from the date of the Cobra notification to elect coverage.  Once you elect and pay the Cobra premium, your Cobra benefits will backdate to the last date of District insurance.  For example, coverage ends 8/31 but you don’t receive the paperwork until 9/15, once you get set up with Discovery Benefits, the Cobra effective date would be 9/1.  

Cobra insurance is offered for up to 18 months or until you are eligible for Medicare.  You can drop it at any time, so if you only need it for one month, you may drop it at the end of that month.  The insurance is ala carte. You can pick and choose what coverage you want and who you want on it.  You can choose just dental coverage for your spouse and nothing else, or you can continue all coverages for all members of your family.