Employer not fulfilling COBRA obligation after loss of job

[Anonymous]

DH lost his job over a month ago. He filed the COBRA paperwork. His HR ppl told him they sent him a coupon book, which we must use to send the payment for COBRA and 'reactivate' our insurance plan. We have not received said book. He contacted them again Monday to tell them that, and they promised they'd have another coupon book sent. According to the HR/ Benefits contact, we can only send our payment with a coupon from the freakin' coupon book; electronic/ phone payments are not accepted, and neither are checks without the payment coupon. It still hasn't arrived yet, and I'm concerned that we're getting too close to the end of the COBRA election period. Our health care providers have had claims denied because our coverage appears "terminated" in the system.

Any advice? What recourse do we have to make sure COBRA is activated before it's too late?

[Anonymous]

Have you called the carrier?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you called the carrier?

The insurance plan says we must go through the employer to be reinstated.

[Anonymous]

Send a certified letter, return receipt requested, summarizing what has happened to date. CC it to the insurance carrier. Can you ask to speak to someone higher up at the insurance company to explain the situation and get them to accept your payment?

Is the coupon book something you can pick up locally? Picking it up in person might be worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Send a certified letter, return receipt requested, summarizing what has happened to date. CC it to the insurance carrier. Can you ask to speak to someone higher up at the insurance company to explain the situation and get them to accept your payment?

Is the coupon book something you can pick up locally? Picking it up in person might be worth it.

+1 and copy the Dept of Labor as well. You can file a complaint with them (https://www.askebsa.dol.gov/WebIntake/Home.aspx) which may get HR/insurance moving a little faster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Send a certified letter, return receipt requested, summarizing what has happened to date. CC it to the insurance carrier. Can you ask to speak to someone higher up at the insurance company to explain the situation and get them to accept your payment?

Is the coupon book something you can pick up locally? Picking it up in person might be worth it.

+1 and copy the Dept of Labor as well. You can file a complaint with them (https://www.askebsa.dol.gov/WebIntake/Home.aspx) which may get HR/insurance moving a little faster.

I wouldn't count on the DOL thing to move things along - IME they're pretty slow in their response to complaints (well, pretty quick on initial acknowledgment, but pretty slow on the next step, which is generally a letter to the employer...like you'll be beyond COBRA eligibility by the time they got on it, likely).