Cobra coverage

[Guest EDES]

Will appreciate any insight! My husband retired, chose prescription under Cobra. I therefore enrolled at my work for medical coverage (which at the time did not have prescription coverage, or so we thought) and the following month (retirement time for my husband) enrolled my husband for medical through my work plan. My work BC/BS representative has now informed us that prescription coverage is mandatory and billed work for such. My question: does my husband have to take the prescription coverage through my work plan, even though it costs 2 1/2 times more plus co-pays are more than double than Cobra? Can't he choose to continue his prescription through Cobra without losing medical coverage at my work? The representative - matter of factly said - if he chooses Cobra for prescription he would have to drop medical from work and pick it up through Cobra (even though the eligible time period has passed) or drop Cobra and take the prescription through work.

[KIP KRAUS]

It’s not uncommon for employer group medical plans to have a prescription plan that is part of the medical plan and not a separate plan. If this is the case with your employer plan then prescription coverage is not a take- it- or- leave- it option, and my guess is that if you want your husband in your plan you are going to have RX coverage for him in your plan.

[Mary C]

I'm afraid your representative was half correct. The COBRA regulations state that as soon as a participant is enrolled in other group coverage with no pre existing exclusions, their eligiblity for COBRA ends. So if your husband now has prescription coverage through your plan, and he was not enrolled in your plan before he elected COBRA prescription coverage, his former employer and/or prescription carrier has every right to cancel his COBRA coverage. And depending when they find out and cancel his coverage, you may be out of the time period allowed to enroll him in your plan.