How to Add Children to COBRA

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) was implemented to provide workers and their families continuing health coverage after the loss of their existing coverage. The health benefits continue as before, complete with the ability to add qualified children to the plan. Though qualifications are limited, in that the child must be a new dependent. Adding the new dependent child is primarily a matter of making the claim within the first 60 days of the child's addition to your family. After that, it's a matter of providing proof and filling out paperwork.

Things You'll Need

• Proof of dependency

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Instructions

• 1

  Notify your fund manager in writing within the first 60 days after a qualifying event that adds a child to your family. Qualifying events include childbirth, marriage, or adoption.

• 2

  Contact your COBRA plan administrator for the necessary paperwork to add the new child to your plan. You can find out who administrates your COBRA plan by speaking to your employer or the HR manager at your place of employment. Fill in the paperwork, including your name, current plan information, circumstances that lead to the additional child dependent, and the child's name.

• 3

  Present the COBRA plan administrator with the paperwork and proof that the child was added to your family. A legal record of the event, like a birth certificate, marriage license with birth certificate of spouse's child, or adoption papers should be sufficient.

• 4

  Have the administrator add the child to your plan by name and update your COBRA information within the system. The plan administrator then presents you with your new plan information, including any changes to your premium.