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Under Federal law, if you, your spouse, and /or your covered dependents <br />( "qualified beneficiaries ") lose coverage under this Plan, then you, your spouse, and /or your <br />covered dependents may be entitled to continuation of health care coverage. The Administrator <br />will inform you of these rights if you lose coverage for any reason other than divorce, legal <br />separation or a covered dependent ceasing to be a dependent. Generally, if we (and any related <br />companies) employed twenty (20) or more employees "on a typical business day" in the <br />preceding calendar year, health plan continuation must be made available for a period not to <br />exceed eighteen (18) months if a loss of benefits occurs because of your termination of <br />employment or reduction of hours, or for a period that could be extended for a second eighteen <br />(18) month period, not to exceed thirty -six (36) months for any of the other reasons given in (b) <br />and (c) below, if these events happen while a qualified beneficiary is already on COBRA <br />continuation coverage. Under certain circumstances, persons who are disabled at the time of <br />termination of employment or reduction in hours and /or within the first 60 days of COBRA <br />coverage may be eligible for continuation of coverage for a total of 29 months (rather than 18). <br />You should check with the Administrator for more details regarding this extended coverage. <br />However, in certain circumstances, this continuation coverage may be terminated for reasons <br />such as failure to pay continuation coverage cost, coverage under another City's plan (whether <br />as an employee or otherwise, provided the other City's health plan does not contain any <br />exclusion or limitation with respect to any pre- existing condition of the beneficiary unless the <br />pre- existing condition limit does not apply to, or is satisfied by, the qualified beneficiary by <br />reason of the group health plan portability, access and renewability requirements of the Health <br />Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or the Public Health Services Act), termination of <br />our health plan, a "for cause" termination of coverage for reasons such as fraud, or you (or the <br />person entitled to continued coverage) become enrolled in Medicare. However, if you become <br />enrolled in Medicare, your covered dependents may still qualify for continuation coverage. The <br />cost of continuation coverage must be paid by the individual choosing such coverage; however, <br />the cost may not exceed 102% of the cost of the same coverage for a "similarly situated" <br />employee or family member. When the continuation coverage for a disabled person is extended <br />from 18 months to 29 months, the disabled person may be charged 150% (rather than 102 %) of <br />the cost of the coverage after expiration of the initial 18 -month period. <br />(a) If you would otherwise lose your health plan coverage under this Plan <br />because of a termination of employment (other than for reasons of gross misconduct) or <br />reduction in hours, you may continue the health plan coverage provided under this Plan. <br />However, this will not be a tax - deductible expense to you, absent unusual <br />circumstances. Your spouse or covered dependents may also continue health plan <br />coverage for these reasons. <br />(b) Your spouse may choose continuation coverage for himself or herself if <br />he or she loses group health coverage for any of the following reasons: (1) your death; <br />(2) your divorce or legal separation; or (3) you become enrolled in Medicare. <br />(c) Your dependent children, including a child born to or placed for adoption <br />with the Participant during the period of COBRA coverage, may choose continuation <br />coverage for themselves if they lose group health coverage for any of the following <br />reasons: (1) death of a parent - employee; (2) your divorce or legal separation; (3) you <br />become enrolled in Medicare; or (4) your dependent ceases to be a "dependent child" <br />under the Plan. <br />It is your responsibility to notify the Plan Administrator of a divorce, legal separation or <br />other change in marital status, change in a spouse's address, or a child losing dependent status <br />under the plan, within sixty (60) days of the event. It is our responsibility to notify the Plan <br />Administrator of your death, termination of employment or reduction in hours, The City's <br />0 <br />