Depends. Most Employers who are a part of a union have COBRA responsibilities to their employees that are written in a contract. If you become laid off because your employer shut down or scaled back production they may offer you three to six months of COBRA benefits to continue your health insurance. All employers offer different options, however an Employer's responsibility to pay depends on the legal contract. Some Employers offer to provide only the Medical and Prescription coverage which runs around $1,000 per month. You would then be required to pay an additional $40 - $100 per month should you want additional Dental or Life Insurance.
After all of the Employer paid COBRA coverage is done, you may then be able to qualify for an additional 9 months of subsidized COBRA in which you would only need to pay 35% of the $1000+ bill per month. Only those who become laid off before 12/31/09 will be able to qualify for this though. You may be able to qualify for this even if your Employer isn't paying for part of your COBRA coverage. You would just have to start paying sooner.
In a nutshell, it's best to contact your Third Party Administrator. If you're not in a union then you would just need to talk to your Manager or check out your Employee Handbook for more info.
After all of the Employer paid COBRA coverage is done, you may then be able to qualify for an additional 9 months of subsidized COBRA in which you would only need to pay 35% of the $1000+ bill per month. Only those who become laid off before 12/31/09 will be able to qualify for this though. You may be able to qualify for this even if your Employer isn't paying for part of your COBRA coverage. You would just have to start paying sooner.
In a nutshell, it's best to contact your Third Party Administrator. If you're not in a union then you would just need to talk to your Manager or check out your Employee Handbook for more info.
