I have a COBRA question; Health Insurance? -

I worked full time. Had to trigger part time - 20 hrs/week - due to illness. On STD - partial payment. 20 hrs/week qualifies me as "active" for health benefits. Did this for a year; company now says that - without notifying me an advance - this "year" was actually COBRA. They say I now only have 6 months left on COBRA. I say that since I was eligible to be "active" for Health Benefits, I should NOT have been on COBRA, and should still have my 18 months left. THANKS!! Sounds like they might be trying to screw you on benefits, especially if it was a serious illness. I lost my job from 2 herniated discs, and my COBRA insurance also would have cost me about five times as much, also. Plus I would have had to sign some paperwork. Cobra's rules are that you are able to stay on the company's health plan for 18 months, but you must pay for all benefits during that period. If you didn't pay anything, then you were not on Cobra, the company paid it for you. Check with whomever is in charge of health benefits at your company. With COBRA, you pay your insurance premiums directly. With their health benefits, you do not. I'd suggest you have them put it in writing - you have to ELECT cobra, after being notified. I strongly suspect someone in the HR office is confused. If you did not enroll in COBRA, you weren't on COBRA. CA DOI has stated that employers can choose to offer group benefits to employees who work down to 20 hrs a week, but it must be offered to all part-timer's that qualify, and it must be requested by the employer. If your employer is still insisting that you are on COBRA, ask for a copy of the paperwork that was submitted since you have not been notified nor have you received any bills from the carrier.