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COBRA Premium Billing Administration
***COVID-19 COBRA UPDATE***
The DOL and IRS have released new guidelines for COBRA in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these changes, employees now have extended time to elect COBRA and pay COBRA premiums. To find out more about these changes, please watch Medcom’s recent webinar via our YouTube channel here.
Currently Medcom has suspended all terminations for Failure to Elect COBRA, Short Payments, and Failure to Make a Timely Payment. We are working to put together a communication to employees, as there were no guidelines released for notification to participants. We will continue to postpone reinstatement on to COBRA until participants pay their accounts current.
Below are some tips for Employers on how to navigate these changes:
- Make sure when an employee/dependent has a Qualifying Event the carrier is being notified to terminate their active coverage.
- Ask your carrier if they are able to hold/suspend claims until they receive payment for the COBRA participant’s account.
- DO NOT pay the carrier for your COBRA participants until you receive reimbursement from Medcom. Ask your carrier if they are able to send you a separate bill for COBRA participants only. Medcom reimburses groups monthly for all premiums collected.
- Review your monthly reports and reconcile your account regularly. We update our portal daily with current elections and payment information.
Medcom continues to stay in-the-know with the latest changes from the IRS and DOL. We will update our partners and clients as often as possible. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us. We meet virtually each Tuesday to discuss the pandemic and will address all inquiries at that time. For more information on how to join our call, check out our Desktop Discussions.
Medcom Benefit Solutions is experienced and well-equipped to comprehensively handle your administrative needs. We possess in-depth knowledge of federal COBRA requirements and regulatory compliance. Medcom provides premium payment coupons, receives and tracks payments, and notifies participants of “short premiums” and NSF checks. Retiree Billing coupons can be customized for monthly, quarterly, or end-of-rate payments as well.
Medcom also offers a variety of COBRA and Retiree Billing payment options. Consolidated premium payments are returned to the plan sponsor on a monthly basis. We provide carrier notifications when coverage is terminated, in addition to all federally required notices, including COBRA, COBRA election, open enrollment, qualifying event, short pay, conversion, extension, and termination.
COBRA Administration
Medcom Benefit Solutions offers a single, fully-integrated and easy-to-use platform for COBRA administration, and a turnkey solution for the administration of the COBRA benefits. All federally required notices are provided, including initial COBRA, COBRA election, open enrollment, qualifying event, short pay, conversion, extension, termination and other notices
Our robust online web portal is available to serve employers and participants 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Medcom provides standard daily online reporting of generated letters, member status, terminations, initial notices, and paid-through-date. Detailed custom reports covering any desired time period can be delivered to the web on your specified time frame.
Retiree & Direct Billing
Medcom Benefit Solutions offers a single, fully-integrated and easy-to-use platform for Retiree Billing and Direct Billing administration, as well as a turnkey solution for the administration of these benefits. Upon notification of an employee’s retirement, Medcom initiates communication with the retiree and carriers to streamline the enrollment process. Our online web portal is available to serve employers and participants 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Medcom provides standard daily online reporting of generated letters, member status, terminations, initial notices and paid-through-date. Detailed custom reports covering any desired time period can be delivered to the web on your specified time frame.
