Family and medical leave itself is not a qualifying event under COBRA, as employers are required by FMLA to maintain group health insurance coverage for employees on leave. If an employee on FMLA leave notifies the organization that he/she does not intend to return to work, however, a COBRA qualifying event may occur. Additionally, if additional unpaid leave is used after exhaustion of FMLA, a COBRA qualifying event may occur, also.

Some of the notifications described below may not apply if you are administering your COBRA programs in-house. The bolded notices represent the critical notifications that employers often must design. Sample forms are available through MTAS.