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COBRA/ARRA News Below you will find information regarding changes to COBRA continuation as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This page contains all the latest federal forms and notices, as well as our current FAQs and links to other resources. Federal COBRA Subsidy Extended On April 15, 2010, President Obama signed H.R. 4851, the “Continuing Extension Act of 2010,” which extends the end date of eligibility for premium assistance by two more months, from March 31, 2010 to May 31, 2010. We are currently preparing a notification to assistance-eligible individuals about this change and will post a sample notice on this page as soon as possible. We have revised our ARRA FAQ (updated April 23, 2010) to reflect this recent change. Our COBRA Notification Form was also updated on April 23, 2010. Required Notices Manley will send the required new special election notice to assistance-eligible individuals who meet the qualifictions stated above. (See samples below.) The notice will be provided to these individuals within 60 days of the individual's involuntary termination of employment. Sample Notices Sample COBRA notification - sent to assistance-eligible COBRA continuants who fall into the category described under Reduction in Hours above (mailed beginning in mid-March 2010) Sample COBRA notification - notifying assistance-eligible COBRA continuants of their new rights (mailed January 26, 2010) Employer Bulletins Employer Bulletin e-mailed April 20, 2010 - includes information about the latest subsidy extension as well as how healthcare reform will affect spending accounts. Employer Bulletin issued January 12, 2010 - provides an overview of the COBRA provisions of this law, along with information on what we're doing to comply, and what you'll need to do Additional Materials Sample notice - based on U.S. Department of Labor's model notice, which we used to notify COBRA-eligible individuals of the premium subsidy. Direct payment authorization (EFT) form Sample of our new Subsidy Report For information on setting up an ACH/wire transfer, please contact our COBRA Department. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our COBRA Customer Service Team by e-mail at COBRA@ManleyServ.com or by phone at (800) 422-7038. Online Resources from the U.S. Department of Labor The Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration has posted new information on the COBRA page (www.dol.gov/COBRA), adding an updated fact sheet, FAQS for employees, and posters and flyers updated for the provisions extending the ARRA premium reduction in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010. FAQs on the COBRA Premium Reduction Extension Provisions - NEW Fact Sheet on the COBRA Premium Reduction (updated March 16, 2010): The Job Loss Poster: Flier for Employees: Flier for Employers: Flyer for Employees on the Application for Review:
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