Qualifying Events

Reasons for Losing Your Coverage

Several events may cause someone to be eligible for COBRA. Qualifying events are the reasons that you, your spouse, or your dependents lose coverage under an employer’s plan. The type of qualifying event determines how long you can have COBRA coverage.

Qualifying Event	Covered Persons	Period Of Coverage
Termination of Employment (voluntary or involuntary) Reduction in Hours of Employment	Employee Spouse Dependent Child	Up to 18 months
Divorce or Legal Separation Death of the Covered Employee Employee’s Entitlement to Medicare*	Spouse Dependent Child	Up to 36 months
Loss of Dependent Child Status Under the Plan	Dependent Child	Up to 36 months

Qualifying Event

Covered Persons

Period Of Coverage

Termination of Employment (voluntary or involuntary)
Reduction in Hours of Employment

Employee

Spouse

Dependent Child

Up to 18 months

Divorce or Legal Separation
Death of the Covered Employee
Employee’s Entitlement to Medicare*

Spouse

Dependent Child

Up to 36 months

Loss of Dependent Child Status Under the Plan

Dependent Child

Up to 36 months

* Typically, this will not be a qualifying event for spouses and/or dependent children of active employees due to the Medicare Secondary Payer Rules.

If you experience a qualifying event, you have some time to decide if you want to continue coverage under COBRA. Find out more details on our Electing Coverage page.

COBRA participants may need to participate in their former employer’s open enrollment process. Learn more on our Open Enrollment page.

Is your COBRA coverage about to expire? There are other coverage options that you might want to check out. Visit our Losing Coverage page.