Do government and union plans follow COBRA?

• A. No
• B. Yes, in all cases
• C. They can apply if they are group health plans; check the plan
• D. Only for federal government plans

Answer: (C)

COBRA continuation rights depend on the type of plan, not the employer. It applies to group health plans, and government or union plans only if they are group health plans covered by COBRA. In other words, some government or union plans can offer COBRA-like continuation, but it isn’t automatic for all of them. The plan document will spell out whether continuation coverage is available and under what terms. So the important step is to check the plan’s status: if it’s a group health plan within COBRA’s scope, the rights apply; if not, COBRA does not apply, though other state or plan-specific options may exist.