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Please note that the OMB number and expiration date may not have been determined when this Information Collection Request and associated Information Collection forms were submitted to OMB. The approved OMB number and expiration date may be found by clicking on the Notice of Action link below.
View ICR - OIRA Conclusion
OMB Control No:
1210-0123
ICR Reference No:
202210-1210-001
Status:
Active
Previous ICR Reference No:
202004-1210-004
Agency/Subagency:
DOL/EBSA
Agency Tracking No:
Title:
Notice Requirements of the Health Care Continuation Coverage Provisions
Type of Information Collection:
Extension without change of a currently approved collection
Common Form ICR:
No
Type of Review Request:
Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action:
Approved with change
Conclusion Date:
01/26/2023
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)
Date Received in OIRA:
12/20/2022
Terms of Clearance:
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
Expiration Date
01/31/2026
36 Months From Approved
01/31/2023
Responses
26,890,373
0
18,128,968
Time Burden (Hours)
490,857
0
0
Cost Burden (Dollars)
16,403,128
0
37,133,409
Abstract:
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) provides that under certain circumstances participants and beneficiaries of group health plans that satisfy the definition of qualified beneficiaries under COBRA may elect to continue group health coverage temporarily following events known as qualifying events that would otherwise result in loss of coverage. COBRA provides that the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) has the authority under section 608 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to carry out the provisions of Part 6 of title I of ERISA. The Conference Report that accompanied COBRA authorized the Secretary to issue regulations implementing the notice and disclosure requirements of COBRA. Under the regulatory guidelines, plan administrators are required to distribute notices as follows: a general notice to be distributed to all participants in group health plans subject to COBRA; an employer notice that must be completed by the employer upon the occurrence of a qualifying event; a notice and election form to be sent to a participant upon the occurrence of a qualifying event that might cause the participant to lose group health coverage; an employee notice that may be completed by a qualified beneficiary upon the occurrence of certain qualifying events such as divorce or disability; and, two other notices, one of early termination and the other a notice of unavailability. Also included in the ICR are two model notices that the Department believes will help reduce costs for service providers in preparing and delivering notices to comply with the regulations.
Authorizing Statute(s):
US Code:
29 USC 1168
Name of Law: Employee Retirement Income Security Act
US Code:
29 USC 1166
Name of Law: Employee Retirement Income Security Act
Citations for New Statutory Requirements:
None
Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:
Stage of Rulemaking:
Federal Register Citation:
Date:
Not associated with rulemaking
Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:
Federal Register Citation:
Citation Date:
87 FR 43897
07/22/2022
30-day Notice:
Federal Register Citation:
Citation Date:
87 FR 77894
12/20/2022
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR?
No
Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR:
1
IC Title
Form No.
Form Name
Notice Requirements of the Health Care Continuation Coverage Provisions
ICR Summary of Burden
Total Approved
Previously Approved
Change Due to New Statute
Change Due to Agency Discretion
Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate
Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses
26,890,373
18,128,968
0
0
8,761,405
0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)
490,857
0
0
0
490,857
0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)
16,403,128
37,133,409
0
0
-20,730,281
0
Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion:
No
Burden Increase Due to:
Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion:
No
Burden Reduction Due to:
Short Statement:
There are no program changes for this submission. The increases in the cost burden estimates are due to an increase in the number of individuals in COBRA eligible plans, labor cost inflation, and increased postage costs resulting from inflation, despite a decrease in the number of individuals enrolled in a COBRA plan. In addition, in the previous ICR submission, the time of a service provider’s administrative assistant to complete the plan administrative notice and termination notice was accounted for in the cost burden. In this ICR submission, their time has been accounted for in the hour burden. As a result, this has increased the hour burden and decreased the cost burden.
Annual Cost to Federal Government:
$0
Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods?
No
Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see
OMB Circular No. A-130
for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.
No
Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see
5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3)
)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.
No
Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]?
Yes
Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]?
No
Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)?
No
Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response?
No
Agency Contact:
James Butikofer 202 693-8434 Butikofer.James@dol.gov
Common Form ICR:
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;
(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;
(c) It reduces burden on small entities;
(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;
(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;
(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;
(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.
(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and
(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Certification Date:
12/20/2022
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