COBRA and active plan changes

[Guest Brenda N.]

Our insurance plan changed carriers. Before the change, employees could sign up for medical and/or dental coverage. Now, employees need to sign up for both medical and dental. Would pariticipants on COBRA prior to the carrier change, who had just medical or just dental, now also have to take medical and dental?

[Sandra Pearce]

COBRA qualified beneficiaries are treated the same as active employees in the employer sponsored plan. Open enrollment and new plan design would have an affect on both.