Congress passed the landmark Cobra laws health benefit provisions in 1986. Officially the Consolidated Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA,). the new Cobra laws amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Internal Revenue Code and the Public Health Service Act to provide continuation of group health coverage that otherwise might be terminated. COBRA laws contains provisions giving certain former employees, retirees, spouses, former spouses and dependent children the right to temporary continuation of health coverage at group rates. This insurance coverage, however, is only available when coverage is lost due to certain specific events. Group health coverage for participants under the cobra laws is usually more expensive than health coverage for active employees, since the employer pays part of the premium for active employees while cobra participants pay the entire premium themselves. Help is on the way HR.BLR.com is also the most complete source for practical human resources advice and plain-English compliance analysis. No matter what the HR topic - from cobra laws to sample policies - you’ll find help you can count on. As the laws in different states on Human Resources get more complex, keeping current can spell the difference between success and disaster. The HR.BLR.com editorial staff monitors a host of private and government sources to keep you up-to-date on all the important human resource developments. The HR Library has more COBRA laws resources like these: What is Cobra? Cobra continuation rights Who is entitled to Cobra benefits Common questions and answers about the Cobra insurance