Can a beneficiary elect COBRA if they have not yet received a Notice of COBRA Rights?

• A. Yes; the election window is open at the event.
• B. No; the election window begins after the rights notice is provided.
• C. Yes; COBRA rights are assumed after the event.
• D. No; COBRA cannot be elected at all.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that the right to elect COBRA is triggered by receiving the Notice of COBRA Rights. The plan administrator must provide this notice to inform you about your continuation options, costs, and deadlines. You cannot enroll in COBRA until that notice is given, so the election window does not open simply because a qualifying event occurred. The 60-day election period starts once the rights notice is provided (with timing tied to the event as appropriate by plan rules), not from the event alone.

So, you can’t elect COBRA before you’ve received the rights notice, which is why the correct answer says the election window begins after the rights notice is provided. The other ideas—that the window opens automatically at the event, that rights are assumed after the event, or that COBRA can’t be elected at all—do not fit COBRA requirements because they ignore the mandatory rights notice that triggers the election period.