{"object_type":"business_agent","schema_version":1,"title":"COBRA continuation coverage notice","core":{"id":"agent:us:business:cobra-continuation-notice","jurisdiction":"us","domain":"employment","question":"Must I offer continued health coverage when an employee leaves?","affected_business":["Employer"],"applies_when":"Employers with 20 or more employees on more than 50 percent of typical business days in the previous calendar year that sponsor a group health plan.","decision":"Yes, qualified beneficiaries must be offered continuation coverage after a qualifying event.","obligation":"Notify the plan administrator of the qualifying event, after which the administrator sends an election notice to the qualified beneficiaries.","action":["Identify the qualifying event (termination, reduced hours, death and similar)","Notify the plan administrator","Send the election notice","Document dates of notices"],"deadline":"Employer notice to the plan administrator within 30 days; election notice within 14 days after that.","sources":[{"provision":"29 U.S.C. 1161","url":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/1161"},{"provision":"29 U.S.C. 1166(a)","url":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/1166"},{"provision":"29 U.S.C. 1132(c)(1)","url":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/1132"}],"read_at":"2026-10-15"},"sha256":"971c35af51d1478f6e653bd2ba2ced9c1d7676b81c0997e9475f4aa1254fffaa","fields":["affected_business","decision","obligation","risk","action","deadline","verification"],"affected_business":["Employer"],"applies_when":"Employers with 20 or more employees on more than 50 percent of typical business days in the previous calendar year that sponsor a group health plan.","decision":"Yes, qualified beneficiaries must be offered continuation coverage after a qualifying event.","obligation":"Notify the plan administrator of the qualifying event, after which the administrator sends an election notice to the qualified beneficiaries.","risk":{"risk_level":"medium","risk_factors":["civil_penalty_per_violation"],"current_amounts":"https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/employers-and-advisers/plan-administration-and-compliance/correction-programs"},"action":["Identify the qualifying event (termination, reduced hours, death and similar)","Notify the plan administrator","Send the election notice","Document dates of notices"],"deadline":"Employer notice to the plan administrator within 30 days; election notice within 14 days after that.","verification":{"sha256":"971c35af51d1478f6e653bd2ba2ced9c1d7676b81c0997e9475f4aa1254fffaa","read_at":"2026-10-15","sources":["https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/1161","https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/1166","https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/1132"],"source":"Source: NovaCopilot"},"next_questions":["How long does COBRA coverage last?","Who is a qualified beneficiary?","Do I have to give notice before laying off many employees?","Must I give employees unpaid family and medical leave?","What do I have to check when I hire someone?"],"related":[{"id":"agent:eu:business:pay-transparency","type":"business_agent","url":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/business-agent?id=agent:eu:business:pay-transparency"},{"id":"agent:us:business:contractor-classification","type":"business_agent","url":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/business-agent?id=agent:us:business:contractor-classification"},{"id":"agent:us:business:eeo-1-report","type":"business_agent","url":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/business-agent?id=agent:us:business:eeo-1-report"},{"id":"agent:us:business:flsa-recordkeeping","type":"business_agent","url":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/business-agent?id=agent:us:business:flsa-recordkeeping"},{"id":"agent:us:business:fmla-leave","type":"business_agent","url":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/business-agent?id=agent:us:business:fmla-leave"},{"id":"agent:us:business:i9-verification","type":"business_agent","url":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/business-agent?id=agent:us:business:i9-verification"},{"id":"agent:us:business:new-hire-reporting","type":"business_agent","url":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/business-agent?id=agent:us:business:new-hire-reporting"},{"id":"agent:us:business:title-vii-discrimination","type":"business_agent","url":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/business-agent?id=agent:us:business:title-vii-discrimination"},{"id":"agent:us:business:warn-mass-layoff","type":"business_agent","url":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/business-agent?id=agent:us:business:warn-mass-layoff"}],"related_count":9,"page":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/en/business-agents/us-cobra-continuation-notice","version":"971c35af51d1478f","updated_at":"2026-10-15","first_published":"2026-10-15","changes_url":"https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/business-agent-changes","note":"Not legal advice. 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