Q.- A former employee elected COBRA starting January 1. He received payment coupons. He mailed payment for January and March, but not February. Can he pick the months for which he wants coverage?
A.- No. Under the COBRA rules, coverage runs consecutively from the date of the qualifying event. A continuant cannot pick and choose the months he wants to pay for coverage. If he paid two months of coverage, the payment will be applied to consecutive months starting on the date of the qualifying event.