Retiree benefits are terminated when eligible dependant elects to cont

[Guest traductrice]

Can anyone answer this?? Here is the scenario: Employee retires, thus a qualifying event occurs. Employee selects retiree medical and dental plans for self & family. Then, spouse decides to opt for the COBRA continuation of coverage (for self only) because it provides a much higher level of coverage for an upcoming operation. Plan administrator , upon receiving spouses election then terminates spouse from the retiree plan which was in effect prior to the election of cobra. Is the administrator correct in terminating the retiree benefit and if so, does this termination create a second qualifying event??

Thanks.

Retiree and spouse are 55. (this was an early retirement option)

[Mary C]

Most companies and plans don't allow you to be covered as both a dependent and as a primary insured by the same employer plan. By electing cobra, the spouse becomes their own primary insured on their own coverage and can't be covered as a dependent by another person.

[Guest traductrice]

That makes sense. I am just a little confused when you describe both the non-retirement (active employee) plan and the retiree plan as "one plan". The SPD is quite different as are the benefits and coverages even though the carriers would be the same. All the official literature I have seen

from the corporation state that once retired, an employee's coverage is ended under the active plan and the coverage begins anew under the "retiree plan". For example, while the employee lifetime max may have been met under the active plan, employee would have a new benefit ($1000)annual with no lifetime max under the retiree plan. Any comments??

[Guest traductrice]

Another thought... Can a person be covered under two different employers plans (thru cobra election), if they have two qualifying events, the second ocurring during the election period before an election has been made?? In this case, that person would be primary on two cobra plans, how do these two coordinate?

Example: employee loses job jan 1st. spouse loses job jan 15. employee had coverages under both and wants to consider keeping both due to expected large medical/dental bills for self. Wouldn't both plans be technically "primary"? Which one pays first? btw, one has a non-duplication clause for secondary coverages so it is important which one would be primary for the employee.

Thanks for any answers.