Is Outsourcing COBRA Administration the Solution for Your Firm?

Congress passed the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) health benefit provisions in 1986. The law was enacted to allow continuity of health insurance coverage for qualified employees and their dependents if they lost coverage due to events like termination, resignation, reduction in work hours, divorce or death. Through COBRA, employees and their dependents have the right to continue coverage under a former employer’s group health plan for up to 18 months (36 months in the case of death, divorce or Medicare entitlement of the former employee), so long as the employee pays the total cost for the coverage and up to a 2% administrative fee.

COBRA Administrative Mistakes Costly for Employers

While COBRA has worked well for employees, it has always presented employers with a number of difficulties. Maintaining detailed records, notifying eligible beneficiaries and collecting premium payments make administration complicated and time-consuming. Employers make mistakes and this can result in large fines, including: 

• IRS excise taxes of $100 to $200 daily for each notice, up to 10% of the cost of the health plan or $500,000 per year.

• Department of Labor fines of $110 daily for each notice.

In addition, an employer or plan administrator may have to pay medical expenses and litigation costs if a case goes to court.

Outsourcing COBRA Administration May Be a Solution

The compliance issues and the cost involved in maintaining COBRA plans have led many companies to outsource this function. Some of the benefits of outsourcing include:

• Controlling Costs

HR personnel who are unsure of statutory requirements regarding eligibility will minimize risk exposure by providing COBRA benefits to employees who are not technically eligible. Third-party administrators have the legal expertise to know which employees are truly eligible and which are not, which can mean a substantial savings in claim costs.

• Eliminating the need to train staff in plan administration

Not only do HR staff need initial COBRA administration training, they require ongoing training to keep up with all statutory, regulatory and case law developments.

• More efficient use of HR staff’s time 

Utilizing HR personnel for COBRA administration lessens their ability to make a more positive impact on the company’s overall operation, like recruiting good employees or arbitrating disputes between department managers and their staff.

• Equitable treatment for all qualified beneficiaries

Third party administrators aren’t swayed by emotion or subject to potential conflicts of interest when they determine eligibility. They base their decisions exclusively on the statutory and regulatory requirements, which ensures fair treatment for all qualified beneficiaries.