DataPath examines the effects of COVID-19 on COBRA and upcoming ERISA plan deadlines

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Feb 16, 2021, 11:00 ET

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Feb. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DataPath, Inc., a leading developer of technology solutions for employee benefits administration, has published a whitepaper titled, "COVID-19 and COBRA Continuation Insurance: Where Do We Stand?" The paper takes a deeper look at the effect of the COVID-19 healthcare crisis on the economy – specifically, its impact on the COBRA insurance market – and how an upcoming deadline could wreak havoc for administrators.

In March 2020, the Federal response to the COVID healthcare crisis included a one year "Outbreak Period," defined by a joint final notice issued by the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor as beginning March 1, 2020 and ending February 28, 2021. With the end looming, third party administrators, employers, and insurance carriers could face some serious issues regarding notices to beneficiaries, COBRA elections, and premium payments, all of which were temporarily suspended for the duration of the Outbreak Period. Without additional Federal guidance, administrators and employers could be facing a massive influx of work, deadlines and not the least, confusion.

"COBRA insurance fills a very specific need for people who lose their group healthcare coverage and are in potential crisis situations," says John Robbins, Jr, President and CEO of DataPath. "The current situation emphasizes the need for a flexible COBRA software solution that allows administrators to address these needs when so many variables are in play, both now and in the future."

You can download the whitepaper here.

DataPath will be hosting a webinar on Thursday, February 25, at 10:30 AM (CT) to discuss the whitepaper.

About DataPath: DataPath, Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. DataPath launched its cloud-based Summit platform in 2017, specifically to handle COBRA and consumer directed healthcare account administration in a single solution. Learn more at dpath.com.

Contact: Erin Carlile, [email protected], 614-540-5520

SOURCE DataPath, Inc.