COBRA is a highly technical statute that can give you a lot of grief. For starters, you’ve got only a short window of time to notify workers of their right to continued health insurance coverage, and you’ve got to figure out whether a given situation triggers the Act’s protections. You know notification is necessary when a worker loses his or her job – but what about in the case of divorce, decreased work hours, or other life-changing events? Many employers become mired in sticky COBRA-related situations (and lawsuits) because they fail to respond appropriately. Don’t become one of them.
Order this in-depth 90-minute audio conference recording all about the top administrative missteps employers make when it comes to COBRA and, most importantly, how to avoid them.
Our experts – two experienced employee benefit attorneys – will explain:
- The top misunderstood and misapplied COBRA provisions
- How to determine whether an individual is eligible for an election notice
- Common missteps concerning severance agreements, workers’ compensation, spousal rights and divorce, Medicare, and newly qualified beneficiaries, such as adoptive children
- Why some employers land in hot water because of how they approach their duty to provide general notice and how to avoid getting burned
- How to tackle issues arising from open enrollment rights
This audio conference was recorded on Thursday, October 23, 2008
About Your Speakers:
Howard D. Bye, Esq., has recently joined the Employee Benefits section of Stoel Rives LLP, after practicing law in Texas for more than 20 years. His practice focuses on assisting clients with employee benefit matters relating to cafeteria, health, and other welfare plans. An
author and speaker on topics related to HIPAA, Medicare Part D, wellness programs, ERISA, COBRA, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other state and federal law benefit topics, Bye has extensive experience with ERISA, governmental, and church plans. Bye is a member of the State Bar of Texas, with admission pending to the Washington Bar.
Timothy G. Verrall, Esq., is Of Counsel with the Northern Virginia office of Morrison & Foerster, LLP, where he advises a broad range of clients in the tax, labor, and securities aspects of employee benefits programs. Verrall has substantial experience dealing with issues arising under COBRA and HIPAA, including the HIPAA privacy, security, and transaction standards rules, and he advises clients on a wide variety of benefits plan issues arising under ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, and the federal securities laws. Admitted to practice in California, Oklahoma, and Virginia, Verrall began his legal career as an attorney-advisor in the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. He is a frequent speaker on employee benefits topics for industry organizations.
Approved for Recertification Credit
This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI home page at www.hrci.org.
