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COBRA State Laws

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State COBRA Laws

Most states have their own COBRA laws that allow people to extend their coverage if the employer has less than 20 employees. A brief summary of each state's law is below.

If you learn details about the law in your state we have not included, or practical tips, please share the information. Please include the source of your information so we can verify it. We work to keep this information to date. However, if the laws have changed, please also let us know that as well. Please e-mail us at: Survivorship A to Z.

Alabama

No COBRA law

Alaska

For information about Alaska COBRA,click here. offsite link

Arizona

No COBRA law 

Arkansas

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                     4 months
Additional time if disabled:                                             None

Controlling law:                                                             HIPPA Act 997 of 1997

For additional information, see: Arkansas Department of Insurance offsite link

California

Number of employees: 2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation: 36 months 
Additional information:

  • Employers are permitted to collect from employees additional 10% rather than the federal level of 2%.
  • The law does not apply to self-insured plans.
  • The law includes vision and dental care plans

Controlling law:Cal-COBRA (Senate Bill 719)

For more information contact: The Department's Consumer Services Bureau at 800.927.4951  or 213.897.8921 

 Colorado

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                     18 months
Additional time if disabled:                                                        
Controlling law:                                                               Senate Bill 86-51                     
Additional information:                                                   Must have health insurance for 6 months

For more information contact: Colorado Department of Insurance  tel.: 303.894.7455 

Connecticut

Number of employees: 2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation: 18 months 
Additional time if disabled: 11 months (total 29 months)
Controlling law: Public Act 97-268
Additional information:

For more information contact: Connecticut Department Of Insurance offsite link

Delaware

Delaware has a mini-COBRA law. For information, contact the Delaware Department of Insurance offsite link.

District of Columbia

Length of time for COBRA continuation: 3 months
For additional information, contact the D.C. Department of Insurance offsite link

Florida

Number of employees: 2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation: 18 months 
Additional time if disabled: 
Controlling law: Florida Health Insurance Coverage Continuation Act
Additional information: Employee must notify insurance company within 30 days of losing coverage

Georgia

Number of employees: 2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation: 3 months
Additional time if disabled: None
Controlling law: 
Additional information: To qualify, you must have had coverage under the plan for at least 6 months

For more information contact: Georgia State Insurance Department, tel: 404.656.2298   (800.656.2298 

 Hawaii

No COBRA law

Idaho

No COBRA law

Illinois

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                      9 months
Additional time if disabled:                                                        
Controlling law:                                                             Illinois Health Insurance Continuation Rights Law
Additional information:                                                   Dependents can qualify for 2 years
For more information contact: Illinois Department of Insurance offsite link

Indiana

Indiana does not have a COBRA law

Iowa

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                     9 months
Additional time if disabled:                                                        
Controlling law:                                                             Iowa Code Chapter 509B and Regulation 29    
For more information contact:                                     Iowa Insurance Department offsite link

Kansas

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                     up to 6 months
Additional time if disabled:                                                        
Controlling law:                                                             Kansas continuation Law          
Additional information:           

  • You must have had 3 months of continuous coverage under your group health plan to be eligible
  • You must apply within 31 days of losing your old coverage
For more information contact: Kansas Dept. of Insurance offsite link
Kentucky

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                    18 months
Additional time if disabled:                                                        
Controlling law:                                                             Chapter 304 of the Kentucky Insurance Code
Additional information:                                                 Only covers if employee has been insured under the group plan for at least 3 months

For more information contact:                             Kentucky Insurance Department offsite link

Louisiana

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                    12 months
                                             
Controlling law:                                                              State Regulation 68       

For more information contact:                              Louisiana Department Of Insurance offsite link

Maine

Number of employees:                                                  2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                   12 months
Additional time if disabled:                                                        
Controlling law:                                                                         
Additional information: Frequently Asked Questions offsite link
For more information contact:                                   Maine Department of Insurance offsite link

Maryland

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                    18 months
Additional time if disabled:                                                        
Controlling law:                                                               Maryland Continuation Law
Additional information:

For more information contact: Maryland Department of Insurance offsite link

Massachusetts

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                    18 months
Additional time if disabled:                                            Yes
Controlling law:                                                                         
Additional information:
For more information contact:                                        617.521.7777 

 Michigan

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                    12 months
For more information contact:                                      (517) 373-0220

Minnesota

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                    18 months
For more information contact:                              Minnesota Department Of Insurance offsite link

Mississippi

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                    12 months
For more information contact:                                      Mississippi Department of Insurance offsite link

Missouri

Number of employees:                                                 2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                   9 months                                                
Controlling law:                                                             Revised Statute Chapter 376 Section 376.428
For more information contact:                                    Missouri Department of Insurance offsite link

Montana

No COBRA law

Nebraska

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                     6 months
Additional time if disabled:                                            6 months         

For more information click here offsite link                     
Nevada

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                    18 months
Additional time if disabled:                                           18 months (total 18)
Controlling law:                                                             Chapter 689B
For more information contact                              Nevada Department of Insurance offsite link

New Hampshire

Number of employees:                                                  2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                   12 months
Additional time if disabled:                                                        
Controlling law:                                                            State Bulletin 711 re Chapter 29 laws of 1994
Additional information:

For more information contact:                            NH Dept of Labor offsite link
 New Jersey

Number of employees:                                                  2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                   18 months
Additional time if disabled:                                           18 months (total 36)
Controlling law:                                                                         
Additional information: Employer can charge up to 150% of premium for months 19 through 29 if employee is disabled as defined by Social Security Act. 

For more information contact:                             New Jersey Department of Insurance  offsite link

New Mexico

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                     6 months                                         
Controlling law:                                                              Title 13, Chapter 10, Part 11.31

For more information contact:                              New Mexico Department of Insurance offsite link

New York

Number of employees:                                                  2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                   18 months
Additional time if disabled:                                          18 months (total 36)
Controlling law:                                                             NY COBRA Laws NRS689B.245, NRS689B.246, NRS689B.249
Additional information:                                                      

  • New York's COBRA law basically extends the federal law and its provisions to small groups.
  • NY also has guaranteed issue health insurance so you can purchase health insurance even with a health condition. Compare prices of individual health insurance to premiums payable under COBRA.

For more information contact:            

North Carolina 

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                     18 months
Additional time if disabled:                                                        
For more information contact:                               North Carolina Department of Insurance  offsite link

North Dakota

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                    39 weeks                            
For additional information:    North Dakota Department of Insurance offsite link  

Ohio

Number of employees:                                                   10 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                      6 months
Additional information: Employees must be terminated from employment involuntarily, have had three months of prior continuous coverage, and be eligible for Unemployment Compensation                                     

For more information contact: Ohio Department of Insurance offsite link

Oklahoma

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                    1 month                                                  
Controlling law:                                                              Title 36, Ch. 1, Article 45 
For more information contact:                              Oklahoma Department of Insurance offsite link

Oregon

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                     6 months

For more information contact:                               Oregon Divsion of Financial Regulation offsite link

Pennsylvania

COBRA law similar to federal COBRA law except Pennsylvania law is for employees of small businesses with 2 - 19 employees, and coverage can only be extended for up to nine (9) months.

Like the federal law, Pennsylvania's COBRA law is for employees who lose their employer based health insurance because of a qualifying event such as job termination.

Employees who elect to continue health coverage under COBRA must pay full monthly premium. Employer can charge up to 5% additional for administrative costs.

For more information, see: Pennsylvania Department of Insurance offsite link

Rhode Island

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                     6 months       

For more information, contact:               Rhode Island Department of Insurance offsite link                       

South Carolina

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                      6 months                                                
                                                       
Additional information: A second period may be available for trade dislocated workers (TAA) who did not elect COBRA when it was first offered

For more information contact:  South Carolina Department of Insurance offsite link
South Dakota

Number of employees:                                                  2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                   18 months
Additional time if disabled:                                           18 months (total 36)
For more information contact:                              South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation offsite link

Tennessee

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                     3 months                                                 
For more information contact:      Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance offsite link

Texas

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                     6 months
For more information contact:                               Texas Department of Insurance offsite link

Utah

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                     6 months                  

For more information contact:                               Utah Department of Insurance  offsite link
Vermont

Number of employees:                                                   2 -- 19
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                     6 months
For more information contact:                               Vermont Department of Financial Regulation offsite link

Virginia

Number of employees:                                                       2-19 with group policy
Length of time for COBRA continuation:                         12 months                         
Additional time if disabled:                                                 11 months   

For more information, contact:  Virginia Bureau of Insurance offsite link

Last updated: 7 March 2017


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