Can an employee pay for COBRA premiums using pre tax dollars form the new job?

[allmail]

I was working as a regular employee for a huge company A for many years.

I was recently laid off. I found another job with a small consulting firm B (which just puts people on its the pay roll, the actual work is for another big client C who I found myself).

The company B is just a pass through, it takes it cut from the hourly rate offered by C and runs the payroll, etc. It does a Health insurance plan (with 2 different options) but does not subsidize it at all.

Now I am considering my best options for Health Insurance.

- Option one, I can sign up for Cobra offered by A (good for 18 months) but I pay the full prize now and not the employer A subsidized price. or

- Option two, I can select one of the options offered by B.

Looking at the prices and deductibles etc, I like the Cobra option from A (as it was a much bigger company than B).

Is there any way I can pay for that option using pre tax dollars from employer B (they do provide HSA if it helps in any way)?

If yes, then how?

If no, then should I compare the Options one and two, using post tax dollars for one and pre tax dollars for two, taking into account their actual costs to me?

thanks.

Pardon me, if I am making any wrong assumptions here. I have never dealt with this stuff before.

 

[leevena]

As a general rule, COBRA premiums are an eligible Section 125 expense.

As for whether you can use the new firms FSA or HSA plan, that is up to them.  Since I do not know anything about the new employers plan, it is best that you ask them if you are eligible to participate.  It should be a very simple yes or no.