Electing COBRA Coverage

The employee has 60 days in which to elect or waive COBRA coverage. This 60-day period is counted as 60 days from the date the qualified beneficiary would lose coverage due to the qualifying event or the date of notice, whichever is later.¹

Some non-California courts have ruled that the 60-day period should not begin to run until the qualified beneficiary actually receives notice, despite the impracticality of an employer knowing when that might be unless notice is sent via registered mail.

Though registered mail provides greater certainty, it also often delays the notice process because the addressee may not ever sign for the piece of registered mail.