"The COBRA law is complex," says COBRAGuard President Robert Meyers. "And failure to comply with COBRA regulations can give rise to costly fines and litigation. With COBRAAnswers, companies become more comfortable with the decisions they make and the processes they use to achieve COBRA compliance."
COBRAAnswers.com offers subscribers unlimited access to the laws and regulations associated with COBRA, and the most current interpretations of COBRA law, the company says. Each annual subscription includes the COBRA Handbook, the COBRA Guide and the COBRA Guide Connections e-newsletter. It also features a keyword search tool that helps clients find answers fast.
"Some employers have heard, and mistakenly believe, that COBRA is no longer required as a result of the new health care law," Meyers explains. "This is wrong. The health reform law did not eliminate or change the COBRA rules, but it will make them more complicated. There's also a belief that since there will be no pre-existing condition exclusions for all health plans beginning in 2014 and everyone will be required to have health insurance, nobody will need COBRA. This is a dangerous assumption since reform did not eliminate the employer-based system of health coverage. Most studies indicate that the vast majority of Americans will continue to rely on employer-based group coverage in the coming years. As long as there is employer-based coverage, the need for COBRA (and state continuation) will continue."
