The New York State Nurses Association Benefits Fund

• Is a nonprofit organization formed to provide participating employees and employers an affordable, comprehensive, and efficient plan of health insurance.
• Affords medical, vision, prescription drug, dental, short- and long-term disability, life, paid family leave, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance to its participants
• Has approximately 45 participating employers that provide these benefits to nearly 18,000 Registered Nurses and other medical professionals across New York. Some 22,000 spouses and children of participants also receive coverage through the Benefits Fund.

Extension of COBRA deadlines due to COVID-19 outbreak

Participants and their dependents may encounter problems in their health coverage portability due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Accordingly, certain timeframes are being extended by the Federal government, including COBRA.

COBRA can now be elected retroactively for periods beginning March 1 as late as August 28, and payments for March through June can be made as late as July 29 without being considered delinquent.

The U.S. Department of Labor Web site explains this extension in further detail and gives examples of how this extension and others can help.

You can also call the Benefits Fund office for more information at (877) RN BENEFITS [762-3633].