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Continuation coverage

Continuation coverage for the ExxonMobil Vision Plan

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) entitles you and your covered family members to extend vision benefits beyond the date your coverage would normally end.

Continuation coverage rights under COBRA

Introduction

You are required to be given the information in this section because you are covered under a group health plan (the Plan). This section contains important information about your right to COBRA continuation coverage, which is a temporary extension of coverage under the Plan under certain circumstances when coverage would otherwise end. This section generally explains COBRA continuation coverage, when it may become available to you and your family, and what you need to do to protect the right to receive it. 

The right to COBRA coverage was created by a federal law, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA). COBRA coverage can become available to you when you would otherwise lose your group health coverage. It can also become available to your spouse and children, if they are covered under the Plan when they would otherwise lose their group health coverage or other rights under the Plan. This section does not fully describe COBRA coverage or other rights under the Plan. For additional information about your rights and obligations under the Plan and under federal law, you should review this SPD or contact the ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center at the telephone numbers or address listed under Benefits Administration in the Contacts for COBRA rights.

You, your spouse and your family members may have other options available when you lose group health coverage. For example, you may be eligible to buy an individual plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace.  By enrolling in coverage through the Marketplace, you may qualify for lower costs on your monthly premiums and lower out-of-pocket costs.  Additionally, you may qualify for a 30-day special enrollment period for another group health plan for which you are eligible (such as a spouse’s plan), even if that plan generally doesn’t accept late enrollees.

Determination of Benefits Administration Entity to Contact: current ExxonMobil employees, their covered family members and former ExxonMobil Employees and their covered family members, who have elected and are participating through COBRA should all contact ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center at 1-833-776-9966 (Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m CST) or access Your Rewards portal.

The contact information for each of these entities is as shown in the Contacts for COBRA Rights section.

What is COBRA coverage?

COBRA coverage is a continuation of Plan coverage when coverage would otherwise end because of a life event known as a qualifying event. Specific qualifying events are listed later in this section.  If a specific qualifying event occurs and any required notice of that event is properly provided to the ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center, COBRA coverage must be offered to each person losing coverage who is a qualified beneficiary.  You, your spouse, and your children could become qualified beneficiaries if coverage under the Plan is lost because of the qualifying event. Certain newborns, newly adopted children, and alternate recipients under QMCSOs may also be qualified beneficiaries. This is discussed in more detail in separate paragraphs below. Under the Plan, qualified beneficiaries who elect COBRA coverage must pay the entire cost of COBRA coverage (employee plus employer portions) plus a 2% administrative fee.

Who is entitled to elect COBRA?

If you are an employee, you will be entitled to elect COBRA, if you lose your coverage under the Plan because either one of the following qualifying events happens:

  • Your hours of employment are reduced, or
  • Your employment ends for any reason other than your gross misconduct.

If you are the spouse of an employee/retiree, you will be entitled to elect COBRA if you lose coverage under the Plan because any of the following qualifying events happens:

  • Your spouse dies,
  • Your spouse's hours of employment are reduced,
  • Your spouse’s employment ends for any reason other than his or her gross misconduct,
  • You become divorced from your spouse.  Also, if your spouse (the employee) reduces or eliminates your group health coverage in anticipation of a divorce, and a divorce later occurs, then the divorce may be considered a qualifying event for you even though your coverage was reduced or eliminated before the divorce.

A person enrolled as the employee/retiree’s child will be entitled to elect COBRA if he or she loses coverage under the Plan because any of the following qualifying events happens:

  • The parent-employee/retiree dies,
  • The parent-employee's hours of employment are reduced,
  • The parent-employee's employment ends for any reason other than his or her gross misconduct, or
  • The child stops being eligible for coverage under the Plan as a child.

When is COBRA coverage available?

When the qualifying event is the end of employment or reduction of hours of employment or death of the employee/retiree, the Plan will offer COBRA coverage to qualified beneficiaries.  You need to notify the ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center of any other qualifying events.

For the other qualifying events, a COBRA election will be available to you only if you notify the ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center. You must notify the Benefits Service Center of the loss of your eligibility or your ineligible family members within 30 days from the date of the event except for the events of divorce or loss of Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage of you, your spouse or dependent for which you have up to 60 days to report. You may enroll in COBRA continuation coverage within 60 days from the later of the date coverage is lost or the date on the COBRA Election Notice statement. Current employees, retirees or survivors may give notice of qualifying events by logging onto Your Total Rewards portal located on the Employee Connect intranet site.  

Please note:  Notice is not effective until either a change is made on Your Total Rewards portal or the proper information is received by the ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center. If notice is not submitted during the 30 or 60-day notice period depending on the change in status, then all qualified beneficiaries will lose their right to elect COBRA.

Election of COBRA

Each qualified beneficiary will have an independent right to elect COBRA. Covered employees and spouses (if the spouse is a qualified beneficiary) may elect COBRA on behalf of all qualified beneficiaries, and parents may elect COBRA on behalf of their children. Any qualified beneficiary for whom COBRA is not elected within the 60-day election period specified in the Plan’s COBRA election notice WILL LOSE HIS OR HER RIGHT TO ELECT COBRA.

How long does COBRA coverage last?

COBRA coverage is a temporary continuation of Plan coverage that lasts between 18-36 months depending on the qualifying event.

You, your spouse and covered dependents may qualify for up to 18 months of continuation coverage, if you qualify due to one of the following qualifying events:

  • Your employment ends for any reason other than termination for gross misconduct;
  • Your work hours are reduced and you are no longer eligible to participate in the Plan ; or
  • Unpaid Leave of Absence

Your covered spouse and covered dependent may qualify for up to 36 months of continuation coverage, if they qualify due to one of the following qualifying events:

  • You die;
  • You and your spouse get a divorce; or
  • An enrolled child no longer meets the definition of “child” under the terms of the Plan

Second qualifying event extension of COBRA coverage

If your family experiences another qualifying event while receiving COBRA coverage as a result of the covered employee’s termination of employment or reduction of hours (including COBRA coverage during a disability extension as described above), the covered spouse and children in your family can get up to 18 additional months of COBRA continuation coverage, for a maximum of 36 months, if notice of the second qualifying event is properly given the COBRA Administrator. This extension may be available to the spouse and any children receiving COBRA coverage if the employee or former employee dies, gets divorced, or if the covered child stops being eligible under the Plan as a child. This extension is not available under the Plan when a covered employee becomes entitled to Medicare after his or her termination of employment or reduction of hours.  This extension due to a second qualifying event is available only if you notify the correct benefits administration entity within 60 days of the date of the second qualifying event.

Disability extension of 18-month COBRA continuation coverage

The 18-month continuation period may be extended for you and your covered family members if the Social Security Administration determines that you or another family members, who is a qualified beneficiary, is disabled at any time during the first 60 days of continuation coverage.  If all of the following requirements are met, coverage for all family members who are qualified beneficiaries as a result of the same qualifying event can be extended for up to an additional 11 months (for a total of 29 months):

  • This extension is available only for qualified beneficiaries who are receiving COBRA coverage because of a qualifying event that was the covered employee’s termination of employment or reduction of hours.
  • The disability must have started at some time before the 61st day after the covered employee’s termination of employment or reduction of hours and must last at least until the end of the period of COBRA coverage that would be available without the disability extension (generally 18 months, as described above).
  • A copy of the Notice of Award from the Social Security Administration is provided to the COBRA Administrator [ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center] within 60 days of receipt of the notice and before the end of the initial 18 months of continuation coverage.
  • If the disabled qualified beneficiary elects continuation coverage, you must pay an increased premium of 150 percent of the monthly cost of Plan coverage that’s continued, beginning with the 19th month of continuation coverage.

Extension Due to Medicare Eligibility

Coverage may also last up 36 months for a covered spouse or covered dependent when loss of coverage is the result of a qualifying event that is the end of the employee’s employment or the reduction of the employee's hours of employment, and the employee became entitled to Medicare benefits less than 18 months before the qualifying event.  In this case, COBRA coverage under the Plan for qualified beneficiaries (other than the employee) may last until up to 36 months after the date of the employee’s Medicare entitlement. For example, if a covered employee becomes entitled to Medicare 8 months before the date on which his employment terminates, COBRA coverage for his spouse and children who lost coverage as a result of his termination can last up to 36 months after the date of Medicare entitlement, which is equal to 28 months after the date of the qualifying event (36 months minus 8 months). This COBRA coverage period is available only if the covered employee becomes entitled to Medicare within 18 months BEFORE termination or reduction of hours.

When COBRA Coverage Ends

COBRA coverage may be terminated before the maximum period if one of the following occurs:

  • The premium for your continuation coverage is not paid on time.
  • If after electing continuation coverage, you become covered by another group health plan, unless the plan contains any exclusions or limitations with respect to any pre-existing condition you or your coverage dependents may have.
  • If after electing continuation coverage, you first come eligible for and enroll in Medicare Part A , Part B or both.
  • You extend coverage for up to 29 months due to a qualified beneficiary’s disability and there has been a final determination by the Social Security Administration that the qualified beneficiary is no longer disabled. In this case, continuation coverage will end on the first of the month that begins more than 30 days after the final determination o by the Social Security Administration that the qualified beneficiary is no longer disabled. This will be the case only if the qualified beneficiary has been covered by continuation coverage for at least 18 months.
  • Exxon Mobil Corporation no longer provides group health coverage to any of its eligible employees or eligible retirees.

Are there other coverage options besides COBRA continuation coverage?

Yes.  Instead of enrolling in COBRA continuation coverage, there may be other coverage options for you and your family through the Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid, or other group health plan coverage options (such as a spouse’s plan) through what is called a special enrollment period. Some of these options may cost less than COBRA continuation coverage. You can learn more about many of these options at www.healthcare.gov.

More information about individuals who may be qualified beneficiaries during COBRA

A child born to, adopted by, or placed for adoption with a covered employee during a period of COBRA coverage is considered to be a qualified beneficiary provided that, if the covered employee is a qualified beneficiary, the covered employee has elected COBRA coverage for himself or herself.

The child's COBRA coverage begins when the child is enrolled in the Plan, whether through special enrollment or open enrollment, and it lasts for as long as COBRA coverage lasts for other family members of the employee. To be enrolled in the Plan, the child must satisfy the otherwise-applicable Plan eligibility requirements (for example, regarding age).

Alternate recipients under QMCSOs

A child of the covered employee who is receiving benefits under the Plan pursuant to a qualified medical child support order (QMCSO) received by ExxonMobil during the covered employee's period of employment with ExxonMobil is entitled to the same rights to elect COBRA as an eligible child of the covered employee.

Cost of COBRA coverage

A person who elects continuation coverage may be required to pay 102% of the cost to the Plan to maintain the coverage, unless the person is entitled to extended coverage due to disability. If the person becomes entitled to such extended coverage due to disability, the person may be required to contribute up to 150% of contributions after the initial 18-month's coverage until coverage ends. A person who elects continuation coverage must pay the required contributions within 45 days from the date coverage is elected retroactively to the date benefits terminated under the Plan.

If you have questions

Questions concerning your Plan or your COBRA continuation coverage rights should be addressed to the contact or contacts identified below.  For more information about your rights under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), including COBRA, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and other laws affecting group health plans, contact the nearest Regional or District Office of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) in your area or visit www.dol.gov/ebsa.  (Addresses and phone numbers of Regional and District EBSA Offices are available through EBSA’s website.)  For more information about the Marketplace, visit www.healthcare.gov. 

Keep your plan informed of address changes

In order to protect your family's rights, you should keep ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center informed of any changes in your address as well as the addresses of family members. You should also keep a copy, for your records, of any notices you send. 

Contacts for COBRA rights under the ExxonMobil Vision Plan

The following sets out the contact numbers based on your status under the ExxonMobil Vision Plan. FAILURE TO NOTIFY THE CORRECT ENTITY COULD RESULT IN YOUR LOSS OF COBRA RIGHTS.
If your status is not listed, call the ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center for help. 

Contacts:

Address:

Employees, retirees and their covered family members, and those former employees and family members who are participating through COBRA:

ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center
Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
(Central Time), except certain holidays
Toll-Free: 1-833-776-9966
Your Total Rewards portal

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ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center
DEPT 02694
PO Box 64116The Woodlands, TX,77387-4116

You can search this SPD section by section or click here to create a single searchable document.