Notifying Enrolled COBRA QBs of ARRA
Category: 2009 Stimulus
Topics: arra, dol
Now COBRA Administrators have re-notified QBs of their right to re-enroll in COBRA effective 3/1/2009, the attention turns to enrolled QBs. We’ll divide those into two groups, and discuss how we recommend you notify them of ARRA, as well as give alternatives that you can choose from.
QBs with events 9/1/2008 to 2/17/2009
These QBs are already on COBRA, and need to receive information regarding ARRA and a way for them to apply for the 65% government reduction in premiums.
The Re-notification Wizard in both TravisCobra and WebCOBRA will print an ARRA Enrollment Form for these QBs. In the ARRA Enrollment Form, several paragraphs will be inserted that describe ARRA to the QB and include the DOL provided Disclosure Statement and AEI Request Form.
QBs with events 2/17/2009 to the present
These QBs need to be sent a notice regarding their potential eligibility for a 65% government reduction in premium.
You can choose to print a new Cobra Election Notice for these participants. Alternatively, you can schedule the ARRA Enrollment Form. Either action will produce a letter set that explains what ARRA is and include the DOL provided forms.
All events from 2/17/2009 to 12/31/2009 will include the Disclosure Statement and AEI Request Form.
Reprinting Letters
In WebCOBRA today, and in TravisCobra before April 3rd, you will be able to send letters to all QBs with Events after 2/17/2009. This gives you the capability to send letters and notices to all QBs who had an event after ARRA was enacted.
For QBs who have been renotified, we will be adding in both systems, with a delivery date of April 3rd, the capability to reprint Cobra Election Notices en masse. You can do this today on a per QB basis in both TravisCobra and WebCOBRA, but we’ll provide an automated solution.
DOL Model Notice (Abbreviated Version)
If you would like to include all information the DOL Abbreviated Version includes, you have the capability to either modify the ARRA Enrollment Form opening paragraph or editing a free-form letter. In our opinion, the Abbreviated Version did not add value to the ARRA Enrollment Form; however, you have the capability to edit the letters to match the abbreviated version, designed to go to currently enrolled QBs. The two forms in the Abbreviated Version of the DOL Model Notice (abbreviated version) will automatically be included with the ARRA Enrollment Form.
20 Responses to “Notifying Enrolled COBRA QBs of ARRA”
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March 25th, 2009 at 11:58 AM
Will you be able to re-notify participants using the wizard with an event date after 2/17/09?
March 25th, 2009 at 02:38 PM
@Chanda: You will have to use the Manual Letter Wizard to send those QBs with an event date after 2/17/09 letters.
March 25th, 2009 at 03:08 PM
I can’t seem to add block 38 into the ARRA Enrollment form. Is there anyway to do this? Thanks.
March 25th, 2009 at 03:16 PM
@Patrick: Block 38 is only available for the ARRA Enrollment Confirmation Letter.
March 25th, 2009 at 03:40 PM
When will the Disclosure Statement and AEI Request Form be included when I run the re-notification wizard? Will this be released over the weekend? The forms did not generate when I ran the wizard.
March 25th, 2009 at 04:51 PM
I was wondering how ar the proration being handle. I entered a test file and provided a hire date of March 17, 2009, accepted the ARRA Stimulus. But when I print the coupons the first month is prorated and the 35% is applied but if the stimlus is only available for nine months I would assume the coupons for December 2009 would reflect the regular monthly COBRA premium. The coupons I ran takes the stimulus amount into the month of December 2009 as well. Is anyone else having this type of experience. I someone can enlighten me that would be great. Thanks.
March 26th, 2009 at 07:19 AM
How does the system know when the employer is paying the cobra premium for the QB? Does the QB still qualify for the subsidy? Everything that I have read says no.
March 26th, 2009 at 08:27 AM
@Chanda: These documents will be included in the WebCOBRA release that will be put up over the weekend.
March 26th, 2009 at 08:29 AM
@Marcie: Please contact Travis Support. We are unable to diagnose potential issues in the system over the Blog.
March 26th, 2009 at 08:32 AM
@Janet: If the Employer chooses to subsidize COBRA for any amount of time, that is their choice; however, stating that the QB does not qualify for the subsidy is not necessarily true. For example, if the Employer chooses to subsidize COBRA at 100% for 3 months, then the QB will still have 6 months remaining on the ARRA subsidy.
March 26th, 2009 at 09:17 AM
When will new documentation explaining all of the processes/procedures related to ARRA be published.
Thanks
March 26th, 2009 at 09:50 AM
@Karen: Documentation for TravisCobra is provided in the user’s manual with each new release. With WebCOBRA, you have this Blog, Travis Support, and the Website application itself, which is self explanatory.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:24 AM
So how does the Travis system know when the employer is paying the QB’s Cobra premium for 3 months for example?
March 26th, 2009 at 01:15 PM
@Janet: In TravisCobra, to tell the system that the premium is 100% subsidized for the first 3 months, you will need to go back to the benefit and assign it a 100% subsidy with an end date of the end of the 3 months it is paid for by the Employer. After that point, the system will then give the QB the 65% ARRA subsidy if the QB is marked as ARRA eligible.
March 26th, 2009 at 02:28 PM
We’ve tried updating the PQB downloader, but cannot see a difference in the loading. I had thought that ARRA Stimulus Eligible check box would be checked where the PQB was defined as eligible. Also, should the field be a ‘T’ or a ‘Y’. Documentation references both. Thanks!
March 26th, 2009 at 04:23 PM
@Carrie: Please contact Travis Support. We are unable to diagnose potential issues over the Blog.
March 27th, 2009 at 10:20 AM
I need to print some ARRA notifications manually. Is this ability available yet? We just updated to 8.3.0.9 and I do not see an ARRA letter option under the Forms Tab.
March 27th, 2009 at 10:34 AM
@Sharon: TravisCobra 8.3.0.09 does not have the ability to produce letters manually under the Forms tab; however, that feature is included in 8.3.0.10, which will also include updates based on the DOL Model Notices.
March 30th, 2009 at 07:35 AM
We were anticipating receiving the download of all of the ARRA info last Friday – and still nothing – when do you anticipate we will get this?
March 30th, 2009 at 07:44 AM
@Susan: The DOL notices were included in release 8.3.0.10, which was released on 3/27/09. Please see the Blog posting titled, COBRA ARRA Weekend Updates.