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Changes in Work or Family Status Affecting Tennessee Health Insurance

1. If you recently lost your job, had health insurance at that job, and...

...your former employer had at least 20 workers:

Under a federal law called COBRA, if your former employer had at least 20 workers, you have the right to stay in the health plan you had at that job. Family members who were covered as your dependents can also elect to continue coverage. However, you must pay the total premium yourself, which can be very expensive. And you must act quickly. Your former employer will send you a notice about your right to elect COBRA, and then you'll have 60 days from the time you lose your job to sign up for COBRA. COBRA usually guarantees 18 months of coverage, but under special circumstances you can get 29 months of coverage.

...your former employer had fewer than 20 workers:

Under Tennessee law, former workers of small businesses and their covered dependents have a right to pay for continuation coverage for three months.

2. If you recently had a change in family status (for example, because you graduated from school and are no longer dependent on your parents) that caused you to lose coverage under a spouse or parent's job-based health plan, and...

...the employer providing that health plan had at least 20 workers:

COBRA can also help if you have had a change in family status. For young adults, loss of coverage often follows graduation or the age at which they can no longer be claimed as a dependent on their parents' health insurance policy. Divorce, legal separation and widowhood also cause people to lose dependent status. If you are in one of these situations, COBRA allows you to continue coverage for up to 36 months. Again, you'll have to act quickly. You have 60 days to notify the health plan of your loss of dependent status, then another 60 days to elect COBRA. And you'll have to pay the full premium, which can be expensive.

...the employer had fewer than 20 workers:

Under Tennessee law, in the case of divorce or death, you may have the right to pay for continuation coverage for up to 15 months.

The human resources or personnel department of your former employer is required to tell you about your COBRA and state continuation rights.

TO LEARN MORE about your COBRA rights to continue coverage, check out the U.S. Department of Labor's "Frequently Asked Questions about COBRA Continuation Coverage" on the agency's Web site at www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq_consumer_cobra.html or call toll-free 1.866.275.7922 for a referral to the best place to answer your questions.

TO LEARN MORE about your state continuation rights, call the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance at 1.800.342.8385 or visit www.state.tn.us/commerce/insurance/index.html.