Greetings all. I'm one of the lucky August SIRP'd. Glad to be gone. My 9 months of Ford provided health benefits run out at the end of the month. I'm trying to figure out how to sign up for COBRA. I've called the NESC, and VIA. Neither were helpful and gave entirely different answers. I've never been unemployed in 40+ years of working anywhere so this is all new to me. Could someone please share what I have to do to get enrolled? Where do you sign up? Really appreciate someone throwing me a clue! Thanks.
8 replies (most recent on top)
@4ebl+1mmgkECH: If you were let go on August 22 and you had 20+ years of service, you have been on COBRA since September 1 but at a subsidized rate for 9 months. Starting June 1, you can be on ‘regular’ COBRA for another 9 months which will end on February 29, 2024.
Once I sign up for COBRA effective 6/1, how long can I stay on it?
@dfc+1mmgkECH is correct. You have to wait until it expires after May 30, 2023 to get enroll in the non-subsidized COBRA, but it is retroactive as long as you apply within 60 days (August 7, 2023). You should also have gotten a COBRA enrollment package in the mail (mine was received April 18, 2023). This will only cover medical and dental. You could have gotten COBRA for vision but it wasn't subsidized. It does not include any life insurance products. The COBRA coverage will be better than any of the ACA marketplace plans.
Also, call VIA benefits immediately and have them activate your HRA effective 06/01/23. Your HRA account can pay for medical and dental premiums for COBRA. The quote I received for my COBRA costs were very close to the monthly HRA stipend. You will have to pay the COBRA costs up front and submit a reimbursement request for the HRA that often gets rejected but will be approved if you keep trying.
I called NESC last week and they opted me in for Cobra coverage starting 6/1. Only downside of doing this early is they will bill you earlier.
Make sure you are set up with your HRA account and Ford is funding it. VIA benefits does that.
OP here... Really appreciate the responses.
I received an entirely unhelpful letter from Ford early April that said go to the myfordbenefits site for COBRA enrollment. There is nothing there regarding COBRA as of yet for me. I'm guessing I just didn't wait long enough. I will check again next week as that will be my last month. Just a little more information in the Ford communication would saved a lot of hassle.
Again I really appreciate the responses.
I only got 3 months. NESC still hounds me to sign up for Cobra. Log into NESC and it should have alerts or reminders.
I have went through this recently. You cannot sign up for COBRA until the 9 months under the prior arrangement runs out. So it depends when you 9 months ends; if you were left go August 30, 2022 then you technically aren’t off the prior medical plan until May 30, 2023.
You should get a message in the Alight Ford Benefits website 30 days before your prior medical expires. The day it expires you will get another message saying you can sign up for COBRA now if you want. This is what happened to me.
Just be aware the COBRA is only good for 9 additional months, so at someplace you’ll need to go to the marketplace for insurance unless you get another FTE job that has insurance.
April fireee here (exactly one year ago yesterday!) I recall getting something in snail mail, but I did need to go online and have the payments deducted from my checking account. I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful. Dealing with the “benefits” aspect of this—from the ironically named People First, to NESC, Alight, and VIA has been horrendous.