The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) is a federal law that provides you, your spouse, and your tax-eligible dependents with the right to continue your group health benefits on a temporary basis. Under COBRA you may continue your CLEAR medical/pharmacy, dental, and/or vision coverages.

ConnectYourCare administers CLEAR's COBRA plans. You should contact them directly with any questions related to COBRA coverage.

Qualifying events for COBRA coverage include:

• An employee’s voluntary or involuntary termination of employment, unless it is for gross misconduct. While COBRA does not define misconduct, criteria to use if an employer is contemplating denying COBRA benefits due to misconduct are:

  • There must be a connection between the offense and the employee’s job.

  • The employee must be able to understand the gravity of the misconduct.

  • The offense must be willful.

• An employee’s reduction in employment hours (for example, from full time to part time)

• A covered spouse’s divorce or legal separation from an employee

• An employee’s death

• An employee’s entitlement to Medicare

• A covered dependent’s change in status (for example, reaching an age that no longer qualifies the dependent for coverage under the parent’s health plan)

• Active military duty when health coverage is not voluntarily maintained

• Failure to return to work at the end of family and medical leave where coverage was in effect at the beginning of the leave but was lost during the leave

• An employer’s bankruptcy

You can view the 2023 COBRA rates by plan here.
You can view the 2024 COBRA rates by plan here.

CLEAR will notify CYC of the COBRA event within 30 days of the date you lose coverage.  Upon notification CYC will mail the COBRA Specific Rights Notice within 14 days.  Typically, CYC will mail the COBRA notice within 2 to 3 business days after receipt of the COBRA event from CLEAR.

You have 60 days to elect COBRA.  The COBRA Specific Rights Notice will include a COBRA Election Notice which you can mail, fax, or email to CYC.  You can also call in your COBRA elections directly to CYC or sign up via the CYC web portal https://www.connectyourcare.com/COBRA.  You will receive a registration code to sign into your CYC COBRA web portal account.  If you chose not to elect you do not need to contact CYC of this decision.

Your initial COBRA payment is due 45 days after electing COBRA.  Subsuquent COBRA payments are due the first of every month with a 30 day grace period. Payments must be postmarked on or before the grace date to be processed.

COBRA is effective one day after your benefits termination date, pending the receipt of a timely election and payment. You must elect COBRA coverage within 60 days from the date of your letter or the Benefits Termination Date whichever is later, and make your first payment within 45 days from the election postmark before coverage will be active. 

The length of your COBRA continuation coverage (18, 29, or 36 months) will depend on the Qualifying Event reason.

• Termination or reduction in hours - up to 18 months*

• Employee enrollment in Medicare - up to 36 months**

• Divorce or legal separation - up to 36 months

• Death of an employee - up to 36 months

• Loss of "dependent child" status under the plan - 36 months

*In certain circumstances, qualified beneficiaries entitled to 18 months of continuation coverage may become entitled to a disability extension of an additional 11 months (for a total maximum of 29 months) or an extension of an additional 18 months due to the occurrence of a second qualifying event (for a total maximum of 36 months). [U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration] 

**The actual period of continuation coverage may vary depending on factors such as whether the Medicare enrollment occurred prior to or after the end of the covered employee’s employment or reduction in hours. [U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration] 

You may be required to pay for service out of pocket during your re enrollment period. If so, you may contact your health plan for possible reimbursement procedures once your coverage is reinstated.