Thread regarding Anadarko Petroleum Corp. layoffs

That is right on the Third Party administration. I hope this helps as I have had some experience with this area. I get my insurance through a previous employer, and it is handled by a third party named Discovery Benefits in my case. In the start I left mid-month and my insurance expired at the end of the month when I switched over to Discovery to admin only the payment. The same company UHC administrated the insurance and all, and nothing really changed on that end. The thing that did change was staying on top of the monthly payments. If you miss a payment then you lose it all, if you don't get the payment in within the grace period. For me the payment is due the first of the month. I usually send the check the 15th of the month before and then I watch it to make sure it clears, and I log into he Discovery site to make sure the payment post. You usually have a 30 day grace period, but after that it is drop dead rule, and you lose your access to COBRA with no questions asked. They will send you a letter after 30 days and tell you it is over. You can't go back folks, so whatever you do get those payments in on time, and check each time to make sure the check clears. If the check I send on the previous month has not cleared by the first of the month it is due I start calling. I had checks get lost in the mail and show up mid month or later. I have written a second check to make sure to stay current. Once the other check came in they applied it to the next month. When I paid directly through my bank I had the most problems. The bank was just sending a paper check and it would get hung up on their end. I just send a check myself now, and from the time I mail it until it post at Discovery usually takes 10 days. I have some friends that do the direct "electronic" payment from their bank and that works fine. Only issue is if the rate changes you have to notify the bank to correct the direct payment. The payment administer will send you a letter that it changed, but you have to change it at the bank. If you send partial payment it is over as well. I was making one time payments through my bank and that is why they were writing paper checks. If I had of done it electronically then there would be no paper checks involved. If you do electronic payments it can take a month to kick in, so you will want to make a payment before going electronic, and watch you account to make sure when the first electronic payment hits. After that check your electronic payments every month.

Bottom line is the system works fine, but you have to stay on top of it. I put this in my bill basket higher than even my house payment. You don't want to chance it, so have a backup plan. My wife has it in her calendar to asked me if it has been paid each month, and I have it in my calendar to make the payment 15 days early. So on the 15th of April I will be sending in the May payment and then checking to make sure when it clears the bank. Once cleared I logon to the payment Web Site to make sure it posted, and I am paid for May. Whatever you do make sure you don't forget, and know it is all on you to make sure things are in place.

I hope this helps a little and did not cause confusion. If you get anything out of this just take away that it is 100% on you to make the payment and make sure it post. You can call HR if there are issues, as they have helped me when one of my payments did not post, but they really are out of the picture. They can only help you if the payment administrator is not getting things right.

It isn't directly through APC's HR. It's through a third party (BenefitConnect) who has to administer it using government mandated (the COBRA act) arm's length rules. That's where the delay comes from.

Correct. It's through UHC which is the same insurance company that we've all had before not a government third party. HR is in charge of it. And they have created a disaster with this!

Government has nothing to do with it idiot. APCs HR department is required to offer administer and pay for cobra to laid off workers. this delay ain't government for once - it's the APC HR department! Damn there's some stupid folks.

Check your account on the UHC website. My medical shows as reinstated. Dental not. My check cleared on 3/30.

COBRA - Mandated by law and administered by third parties. All APC does is to contract with the third party. Government rules, red tape and third party nonchalance add up to delays. Patience grasshopper.

The terminating company (APC) is required by law to provide the temporary health coverage not the government. Here's the def from the irs website.

"The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) health benefit provisions amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Internal Revenue Code and the Public Health Service Act to require group health plans to provide a temporary continuation of group health coverage that otherwise might be terminated."

Cobra isn't a government program ya dumbass. You must be one of the idiots remaining in the HR department !

My first COBRA payment mailed last Monday May 28th has cleared the bank and is now posted on the COBRA website. But the UHC website has not been updated to reflect this. I heard it will take about 10 days before my insurance is reinstated. I expect this to be by Monday April 18th. So it will take 3 weeks from the time you mail out the payment until the insurance is reactivated.

COBRA is a government program administered by third party contractors. I expected a process rife with delays and opportunities for snafus because of that.

You expected anything less from the incompetent department running this? lol.

Same here. My impression from reading the material was this was likely to happen but would be retroactively reinstated. I plan on lighting up some switchboards Monday morning.