There are a number of moving pieces involved in COBRA that can be overwhelming. This piece will help you understand the following:
- options to elect continued coverage through COBRA
- different ways to pay your COBRA premiums
- common questions about paying for COBRA premiums
How can I elect COBRA plans?
There are three ways you can elect continued coverage through COBRA:
- COBRA/Direct Bill mobile app
- Online
- Paper form
Mobile app
You will need to download the COBRA/Direct Bill Mobile app and register for an account. Once you have logged in, you can elect which plans you wish to have continued coverage for.
Online
You can login online through cobra.benefitresource.com. New users can follow this link to complete registration. Once logged in, you can elect the plans you want continued coverage for.
Paper form
You can fill out the election form provided by Benefit Resource and send it to us in the mail.
How can I pay COBRA premiums?
The three ways to pay COBRA premiums are through ACH (linked to your bank account), credit/debit card or check. We recommend paying by ACH.
Why is ACH the recommended option?
There are a few reasons why we recommend paying by ACH.
- It doesn’t involve any additional fees like other payment methods.
- It can be used for one time payments or recurring payments.
However, there can be an advantage to paying by credit card. If you are about to be late on a payment and you have to push the payment through same day, credit card is your best option.
While there is a flat fee of $20, it allows you to make the payment on time and avoid late penalty fees. A credit card is the only payment option that allows you to pay same day.
Common questions
Can I alternate between payment methods?
Yes. If you start off with a credit card, you can change your payment method to ACH, and visa versa.
Can I advance pay?
No. However, you can make several partial payments, as long as you pay the full amount due by the deadline. (Example: Your payment of $400 is due on 3/31. You can make a payment of $200 on 3/15 and a payment of $200 on 3/20).
Can I do autopay with a credit card?
Yes, but there is a charge of $20 every time you make a payment with your credit card.
Still need help with COBRA?
Check out our COBRA blog section, with blogs covering topics like: What to do if you lost COBRA coverage, 5 questions to ask before enrolling in COBRA and 6 reasons besides jobs loss you’re eligible for COBRA.
