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

Continuation coverage

Continuation coverage for the ExxonMobil Retiree Medical Plan – Aetna POS II A and B options

Introduction

You are required to be given the information in this section because you are covered under a group health plan (the Retiree Medical 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 Under the ExxonMobil Retiree Plan section.

Your spouse and your family members may have other options available when they lose group health coverage. For example, they may be eligible to buy an individual plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace.  By enrolling in coverage through the Marketplace, y the costs of monthly premiums may be lower.  Additionally, they may qualify for a 30-day special enrollment period for another group health plan for which they 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 retirees, 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 Under the ExxonMobil Medical Plan 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 the spouse of a retiree, you will be entitled to elect COBRA if you lose coverage under the Plan because any of the following qualifying events happens:

  • The retiree dies,
  • You become divorced from the retiree.  Also, if the retiree 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 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 retiree dies,
  • The child stops being eligible for coverage under the Plan as a child.

When is COBRA coverage available?

When the qualifying event is the death of a 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 retirees or survivors may give notice of qualifying events by logging onto Your Total Rewards portal or by calling the ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center.

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 retirees 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.

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.

When COBRA Coverage Ends

COBRA coverage can end before the end of the maximum coverage period for several reasons:

  • 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 become eligible for and enroll in Medicare Part A , Part B or both.
  • 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 retiree during a period of COBRA coverage is considered to be a qualified beneficiary provided that, if the covered retiree is a qualified beneficiary, the covered retiree 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 retiree. To be enrolled in the Plan, the child must satisfy the otherwise-applicable Plan eligibility requirements (for example, regarding age).

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. 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 the 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 to the Benefits Service Center.

Contacts for COBRA rights under the ExxonMobil Retiree Medical Plan

The following sets out the contact numbers based on your status under the Retiree Medical 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.

Retirees and their covered family members, and former employees and family members who have elected and are participating through COBRA:

Contact:

Address:

ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center

Phone: 833-776-9966

Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (U.S. Central Time)

Web: Your Total Rewards portal (digital.alight.com/exxonmobil)

ExxonMobil Benefits Service Center

Address: Dept 02694 P.O. Box 64116

The Woodlands, TX, 77387-4116

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