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.

We’ve all heard that 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. Regardless of the accuracy of this statement, it is reasonably certain that divorce or legal separation will happen within a workforce with 20 or more full time employees (the federal COBRA threshold).  Thus, just like death, taxes, and Affordable Care Act reporting, divorce is one of those unpleasant certainties for which we must prepare.   

Employers establish wellness plans to promote healthy lifestyles among employees.  Healthier employees hopefully leads to better control of costs under the employer’s health plan.  However, the individuals responsible for the employer’s wellness plan compliance will likely be left with a headache.   

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the compliance spotlight has shifted away from COBRA. Some opinion pieces have even called for the death of COBRA. These opinions overlook many of COBRA’s key benefits. For example, COBRA allows participants to take advantage of dollars already spent to satisfy deductibles. Unlike Marketplace coverage, COBRA provides retroactive coverage - thus preventing a gap. COBRA also takes into account all of the members of the family (creating Qualified Beneficiaries), not just the employee.

On April 1, 2015, the IRS published its most recent Employee Plans Newsletter. You can access the newsletter at http://www.irs.gov/Retirement-Plans/Employee-Plans-News.