Employers may still have to send COBRA health coverage continuation notices to departing employees.
The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) broke the news in a set of health care continuation coverage draft regulations.
A revised model notice will mention the existence of the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) public exchange system, but EBSA intends to continue to require employers to send the notices and offer access to COBRA coverage.
In the preamble to the new draft regulations, officials do not mention the possibility of eliminating COBRA or reducing the scope of the COBRA program.
EBSA is an arm of the U.S. Department of Labor. When the Labor Department and its agencies create new forms, or make major changes to existing forms, they are supposed to send new or revised forms to a formal paperwork review process at the Office of Management and Budget.
The Labor Department believes the new COBRA notice changes are minor, EBSA officials say in the preamble.
“Therefore, no further review is requested of OMB at this time,” officials write in the preamble. “The department solicits comment on this understanding.”
EBSA is preparing to publish the draft regulations in the Federal Register Wednesday.
Comments will be due 60 days after the official publication date.