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COBRA Health Insurance: Oregon

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) was passed by Congress in 1986. Using COBRA, company-sponsored health insurance benefits can be continued for a limited period of time after employment ends, but the insured person is responsible for paying the full insurance cost, including the portion previously paid by the employer. COBRA is not an insurance plan, it is a method of preventing insured people from suddenly losing coverage.

  1. COBRA

    • Under COBRA, your existing health insurance plan can be extended for up to 18 months automatically after you have been laid off, terminated or quit your job. Under certain circumstances, COBRA can be extended an additional 18 months, for a total of 36 months. COBRA does not offer any coverage itself, it merely allows you to extend the coverage you already had until you have had an opportunity to find replacement health insurance.

    Purpose of COBRA

    • COBRA has one purpose: to prevent insured people from suddenly losing their health insurance just because they are no longer working for the employer they got the insurance package through. Employers that have more than 20 employees and offer health insurance benefits are required by law to participate in COBRA. Within 30 days of your employment coming to an end, the company department of human resources will send you information on how to apply for a COBRA extension.

    Oregon Medical Insurance Pool

    • Oregon offers a special insurance fund, called the Oregon Medical Insurance Pool (OMIP) that can be useful if you have not found replacement coverage by the time your COBRA extensions expire. Qualifying events for OMIP include COBRA benefits being exhausted or the loss of COBRA eligibility because the previous employer no longer offers health insurance or moving to an area where other portability coverage is not supported. OMIP offers four types of plans, each one based on the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). Deductible options range from $500 to $1,500, and initial coverage may be limited for up to six months.

    Oregon Medicaid

    • Oregon provides Medicaid coverage to people who are unable to get insurance through conventional methods, including those living below the poverty level, people who are excluded from group coverage because of existing medical conditions and pregnant women. The Oregon Department of Health Services suggests reviewing basic plans and eligibility at the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services website (see Resources), the federal portal for health-care services.

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