The COBRA Blog

Why COBRA Confuses Employees (and How Employers Can Fix It)

Debra Mootz — Tue, 26 May 2026 13:33:32 GMT

COBRA is one of those benefits that’s critically important, but widely misunderstood. For employees, it often shows up during stressful life moments like job loss or reduced hours. For employers, that confusion can quickly turn into frustration, compliance risks, and an increase of questions your HR team has to field.

iTEDIUM Managed Services Division: Support You Can Count On

Debra Mootz — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:15:27 GMT

COBRA administration is detail-driven, deadline-sensitive, and highly visible to participants. When it runs smoothly, it builds confidence. When it doesn’t, it creates confusion fast.

Avoiding COBRA Penalties: Six Small Errors That Create Big Liability

Debra Mootz — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 22:32:23 GMT

COBRA may not be glamorous, but the penalties are very real. The good news is that most costly COBRA problems come from a handful of small mistakes. Tighten these up, and you dramatically lower your risk!

Year-End COBRA Readiness: December Guidance for HR Teams

Debra Mootz — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 21:56:59 GMT

As we close out the year, HR professionals managing COBRA face unique challenges—finalizing participant records, ensuring compliance, and preparing a seamless transition into the new year. At iTEDIUM, we’re committed to supporting you every step of the way. Here’s what you can do this December to ensure your COBRA administration is in top shape:

Managing COBRA Administration in the Fourth Quarter

Robert Meyers — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 18:44:50 GMT

Well, another football season is upon us. The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are turning, and the sun shines brightly on the football fields across America. The season includes parties, tailgating, fantasy football, and games at every level – from pee-wee league to pro.

Pondering COBRA Outsourcing? Three Factors to Consider:

Robert Meyers — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:24:25 GMT

Regardless of what you may have heard, COBRA administration continues to be required even with health reform and the elimination of pre-existing condition exclusions. That said, staying up to date with both the Affordable Care Act and COBRA compliance requirements can be overwhelming, and therefore, outsourcing COBRA administration has grown in popularity over the years. In 2004, the Society of HR Managers issued a study indicating that 38 percent of employers outsource their COBRA administration. In the last 10 years, that number has likely doubled.

Are You Making This COBRA Software Mistake During Open Enrollment?

Robert Meyers — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 15:01:59 GMT

Every year during open enrollment a few unsuspecting companies make a big HR mistake: They unwittingly allow their COBRA administration program to change along with their benefits plans. Sometimes it’s because the carrier recommends a different COBRA administrator. Sometimes it’s because a broker is offering free COBRA software. And sometimes, the broker and the HR team aren’t even conscious that the change is occurring because the COBRA administration was a free service provided by the old health insurance carrier.

How to Choose a COBRA Administrator: The Top 10 Requirements

Robert Meyers — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 20:18:22 GMT

Do you trust your COBRA administrator? This is an important question because as health insurance rates have skyrocketed, so too has the liability associated with COBRA administration. The ACA removed limits from policies, and in doing so, lifted the lid on potential COBRA errors as well. Remember, COBRA is compliance at its heart and the regulatory penalties which may be levied by the Department of Labor are significant. The insurance claims which COBRA participants might incur can be even more dangerous to the health plan than the penalties.

COBRA Pop Quiz: Can Your Team Answer These 4 Questions Correctly?

Robert Meyers — Tue, 20 May 2025 15:06:18 GMT

No matter how long you work with COBRA, questions still arise. Here are four COBRA administration questions that caught our attention this month. Ready for a pop quiz? See if your team can answer these four questions correctly!

Corporate Downsizing COBRA Mistakes

Robert Meyers — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 15:49:12 GMT

The news has been abuzz recently with several large corporate mergers and acquisitions. No doubt large corporations have teams of lawyers on staff to ensure compliance during and after corporate changes. However, even businesses that are not large enough to staff a team of lawyers undergo mergers, acquisitions and restructuring. While these businesses may not make the evening news, they are held to the same COBRA compliance standards as large employers.