Evaluate and Elect COBRA Coverage Before the Election Window Closes

  1. Request the COBRA election notice and plan documents
    15 min

    Start with the plan administrator — usually your former employer’s HR or benefits line, or the third-party COBRA administrator named in your exit paperwork. Call and ask for two documents: the COBRA election notice and the plan’s summary plan description (SPD). You are entitled to both; the notice carries your premium and your election deadline.

    Put the request in writing the same day, so the clock is provable:

    • Email or mail the request to the person you spoke with, naming both documents, and keep a copy with the date.
    • Log the date the administrator learns of the qualifying event — the notice must be sent within 14 calendar days of that date.
    • The SPD follows within 30 days of a written request; if either document is missing after that, call again and note who you spoke to and when.

    When the notice arrives, check it against the four things it must state: the qualifying event, the coverage loss date, the monthly premium, and the election deadline. If any of the four is missing or looks wrong, ask in writing for a corrected notice before building anything on it.