(1) A group health insurance policy providing coverage for hospital or medical expenses, other than coverage limited to expenses from accidents or specific diseases, shall contain a provision that certificate holders whose coverage under the policy otherwise would terminate because of termination of employment or membership may continue coverage under the policy for themselves and their eligible dependents as provided in this section.
(2) Continuation of coverage shall be available only to a certificate holder who has been insured continuously under the policy or similar predecessor policy during the three-month period ending on the date of the termination of employment or membership.
(3) Continuation of coverage shall not be available to a certificate holder who is eligible for:
(a) Federal Medicare coverage; or
(b) Coverage for hospital or medical expenses under any other program which was not covering the certificate holder immediately before the certificate holder’s termination of employment or membership.
(4) The continued coverage need not include benefits for dental, vision care or prescription drug expense, or any other benefits under the policy additional to hospital and medical expense benefits.
(5) A certificate holder who has terminated employment or membership and who wishes to continue coverage must request continuation in writing not later than 10 days after the later of the date on which employment or membership terminated and the date on which the employer or group policyholder gave the certificate holder notice of the right to continue coverage. However, a certificate holder may not make a request for continuation more than 31 days after the date of termination of employment or membership.
(6) A certificate holder who requests continuation of coverage must pay the premium on a monthly basis and in advance, as provided in this subsection. The certificate holder shall pay the premium to the insurer or to the employer or policyholder, whichever the group policy provides. The required premium payment may not exceed the group premium rate, for the insurance being continued under the group policy, as of the date the premium payment is due. The certificate holder must pay the first premium not later than 31 days after the date on which the certificate holder’s coverage under the policy otherwise would end.
(7) Continuation of coverage as provided under this section shall end upon the earliest of the following dates:
(a) Six months after the date on which the certificate holder’s coverage under the policy otherwise would have ended because of termination of employment or membership.
(b) The end of the period for which the certificate holder last made timely premium payment, if the certificate holder fails to make timely payment of a required premium payment.
(c) The premium payment due date coinciding with or next following the date the certificate holder becomes eligible for federal Medicare coverage.
(d) The date on which the policy is terminated or the certificate holder’s employer terminates participation under the policy. However, if the employer replaces the coverage which is terminating for the certificate holder with similar coverage under another group policy:
(A) The certificate holder may obtain coverage under the replacement group policy for the balance of the period that the certificate holder would have remained covered under the replaced group policy under this section;
(B) The minimum level of benefits to be provided the certificate holder by the replacement group policy shall be the applicable level of benefits of the replaced policy reduced by any benefits still payable under that policy; and
(C) The replaced policy shall continue to provide benefits to the certificate holder to the extent of that policy’s accrued liabilities and extensions of benefits as if the replacement had not occurred.
(8) The group health insurance policy also shall contain a provision that:
(a) The surviving spouse of a certificate holder, if any, who is not eligible for continuation of coverage under ORS 743.600 may continue coverage under the policy, at the death of the certificate holder, with respect to the spouse and any dependent children whose coverage under the policy otherwise would terminate because of the death, in the same manner that a certificate holder may exercise the right under this section.
(b) The spouse of a certificate holder, if any, who is not eligible for continuation of coverage under ORS 743.600 may continue coverage under the policy, upon dissolution of marriage with the certificate holder, with respect to the spouse and any children whose coverage under the policy otherwise would terminate because of the dissolution of marriage, in the same manner that a certificate holder may exercise the right under this section.
(c) A spouse who requests continuation of coverage under this subsection must pay the premium for the spouse and any dependent children, on a monthly basis and in advance, as provided in this paragraph. The spouse shall pay the premium to the insurer or to the employer or policyholder, whichever the group policy provides. The required premium payment under this subsection may not exceed the group premium rate, for the insurance being continued under the group policy, as of the date the premium payment is due.
(9) A certificate holder who has terminated employment by reason of layoff shall not be subject upon any rehire that occurs within six months of the time of the layoff to any waiting period prerequisite to coverage under the employer’s group health insurance policy if the certificate holder was eligible for coverage at the time of the termination and regardless of whether the certificate holder continued coverage during the layoff.
(10) This section applies only to employers who are not required to make available continuation of health insurance benefits under Titles X and XXII of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended, P.L. 99-272, April 7, 1986. [Formerly 743.850]
Section: Previous 743.600 743.601 743.602 743.603 743.606 743.607 743.609 743.610 743.611 743.612 743.613 743.614 743.615 743.616 743.617 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008