IRS, DOL Announce Extension of COBRA Election Period, May 7, 2020

Under normal circumstances, an individual has sixty days from the date when a COBRA qualifying event occurs to elect COBRA coverage (or make a new COBRA election). In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the IRS and DOL have announced an extension of this sixty-day window. The sixty-day election window is essentially paused for relevant time periods that include March 1, 2020. The clock is stopped and will not resume ticking until the end of the "outbreak period". The outbreak period is defined as the window of time beginning March 1, 2020 and ending sixty days after the date that the COVID-19 national emergency is declared ended. The forty-five-day payment clock and thirty-day grace period for late COBRA payments are also paused. For more information on the COBRA election rules, visit Tax Facts Online.