Welcome to todays

1
Welcome to todays Employee Meeting Coordinat
ed by Kentucky's Rapid Response Team and
Partner agencies
www.kentuckyunbridledspirit.com
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• Rapid Response is a strategy designed to respond
  to layoffs and plant closings by quickly
  coordinating services and providing immediate aid
  to affected workers, who are/or have been
  separated thru no fault of their own.
• Rapid Response teams will work with your employer
  and any employees to quickly identify and
  coordinate public and private efforts, while
  minimizing disruptions associated with job loss
  for individuals and communities.

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Kentuckys Rapid Response Team Agencies
coordinate an array of services for Dislocated
Workers
Office of Employment Training
Vocational Rehabilitation
One Stop Career Center
Local Workforce Investment Area One Stop Career
Center WIA Title 1 Dislocated Worker Program
Health Services
U.S. DOL Employee Benefit Security Administration
KY Adult Education
One stop Career Centers are nationwide and many
of the services you hear about today are mirrored
in surrounding states.
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http//oet.ky.gov
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Am I Eligible to Draw Unemployment Insurance
Benefits? Base Period

• Soon after you file your claim, you will receive
  a notice telling you if your claim is Allowed or
  Denied based upon the amount of earnings reported
  in your Base Period.
•  Your base period is the first four of the last
  five completed calendar quarters immediately
  prior to the quarter you file your claim. Heres
  a chart to help you understand what the base
  period will be for a claim.

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Am I Eligible to Draw Unemployment Insurance
Benefits? Base Period

• For example, if you filed your claim with an
  effective date any time from October 1, 2003,
  through December 31, 2003, your base period for
  that claim would be July 1, 2002 through June 30,
  2003 .
• The effective date of a claims is the Sunday
  date immediately preceding the date the claim is
  filed.

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Am I Eligible to Draw Unemployment Insurance
Benefits?

• There are four (4) requirements that must be met
  before a monetary determination can be made that
  there are sufficient wages in your base period.

1. Wages of at least 750 in one quarter. 2.
Total wages of at least one and one-half (1 ½)
times the wages in your high quarter. 3. Total
wages outside the high quarter of at least 750.
4. Wages in the last two (2) quarters of at
least eight (8) times your weekly rate.
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Am I Eligible to Draw Unemployment Insurance
Benefits?

• If we do not find enough wages in your base
  period or you do not meet all four of the prior
  criteria, you will receive a notice stating that
  your claim is Denied. If you believe all your
  wages were not included in the determination, you
  may request Reconsideration. You may also
  request a reconsideration if your weekly benefit
  amount is less than the maximum allowed, and you
  believe all your wages were not reported.

• Bring proof of additional wages, such as check
  stubs, W-2s, or a statement from your employer.
  We will look into your claim and make any
  adjustments required. If you have requested a
  reconsideration, while youre waiting for a
  determination, you Must continue to claim your
  weeks of benefits, because if you dont and your
  claim is Allowed after adjustments are made, we
  cannot pay you for weeks that have passed.

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How Much Will I Receive in Unemployment Insurance
Benefits Each Week?

• To find out the Weekly Benefit Amount, we
  multiply 1.3078 by the total base period wages.
• example22000 x 1.3078 287.71
• The Weekly Benefit Amount (rounded to the
  nearest dollar) would be 288.00.
• The maximum amount of benefits you can draw
  during the life of the claim would be the lesser
  of 26 times your weekly benefit rate or 1/3 of
  your total base period wages.
• In the example given, the maximum amount payable
  during the life of the claim would be 26 x
  288.00, which is 7488.00.
• To Calculate Your Unemployment Insurance Benefits
  Visit
• http//oet.ky.gov
• Click Unemployment Insurance
• Click Calculating Weekly UI Benefits

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Unemployment Insurance Benefits Facts

• Employers pay the full cost of unemployment
  insurance benefits. Workers do not pay any part
  of the cost.
• Once your weekly benefit rate is established, the
  actual amount of your weekly benefit check can
  vary because of required or elected deductions.
  If you have earned wages during the week you are
  claiming Unemployment Insurance Benefits. Then
  eighty percent (80) of your Gross wages, before
  deductions, that you earn during the week claimed
  will be deducted from your weekly amount. For
  example, if your weekly benefit amount is 150
  and you earn 40 during the week, we will deduct
  32 (80 of 40) from your weekly amount of 150,
  and issue you a check for 118.
•  If you receive a Pension, you must let us know
  the week the first pension check is received . If
  the employer contributed 100 to the pension,
  then the pension is deductible. If you
  contributed to the pension, pension is not
  deductible. Pensions paid under the Social
  Security Act or Railroad Retirement Act will not
  be deducted.

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Additional Unemployment Insurance Benefits Facts

• One hundred percent (100) of wages received in
  lieu of notice will be deducted. This is
  different from severance pay and vacation pay,
  which is not deductible when there is a permanent
  separation in employment. If in doubt, ask your
  interviewer to explain the difference.

• Your Unemployment Insurance Benefits are Taxable

• You may have federal income tax withheld from
  your unemployment insurance benefit check. This
  is optional and may be changed once during your
  benefit year. The amount withheld will always be
  10 of your weekly benefit amount.
• Unemployment insurance benefits are taxable and
  must be reported on your annual income tax
  return. The department will provide you with an
  annual statement (Form 1099G), no later than
  January 31st of each year.

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Important Unemployment Insurance Information
It is Very Important That You Read and Understand
the Information Regarding Your Rights and
Responsibilities . (PAM UI-400/ES- 513)
 Work Search Requirements While Claiming
Unemployment Insurance Benefits

• By law, an unemployed worker must be available
  for suitable full-time work and making such
  reasonable effort to obtain work as might be
  expected of a prudent person under like
  circumstances while claiming unemployment
  insurance benefits.

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The Musts for receiving Unemployment Insurance
Benefits

• Be able to work.
• Register for work with the Office of Employment
  Training (OET).
• Respond in a timely manner when Office of
  Employment Training contacts you about job
  openings.
• Accept referrals to suitable work from the Office
  of Employment Training , staff and partners.
• Report for job interviews (to which referred).
• Report for follow-up contacts with the Office of
  Employment Training,as instructed.
• Participate in other Reemployment Services and
  Case Management, to which you are referred .
• Seek employment on your own, and
• Accept suitable employment when offered.
• Failure to meet the above requirements may result
  in disqualification from receiving benefits.

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Unemployment Insurance Information
If My Claim is Allowed, Do I Get My Benefits
Now?
Its a good start, but more is required. You may
be an insured worker and still be ineligible or
disqualified for benefits. Some of the common
reasons you may be ineligible or disqualified
are

• You are not able to work, or available for
  full-time work or actively seeking full-time
  work.
• You have a medical reason to prevent you from
  accepting work.
• You are an alien not permitted to work .
• You have unreasonably limited the wages you will
  accept, the hours or days you will work, the
  locations where you work or jobs you will accept.
  
• You are not looking for work as instructed.
• You did not register for work with Job Services,
  if required.
• You are involved in a strike .
• You are self-employed/owner/officer of a
  corporation .
• You are attending school (without prior approval
  of the Office of Employment Training) .

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If My Claim is Allowed, Do I Get My Benefits
Now? (Continued)
Some of the additional common reasons you may be
ineligible or disqualified are

• You are a school employee between terms.
• You are suspended for misconduct.
• You refused suitable work.
• You do not have adequate transportation.
• You dont have someone to care for your children
  while you work.
• You were fired for misconduct connected with your
  employment.
• You quit your job for personal reasons or for
  reasons that were not considered good cause
  connected with the employment.
• You did not report, telephone, or provide
  information to the local office when instructed.
• You worked or earned wages in excess of the
  amount allowed to be considered unemployed.
• You failed to participate in required services
  under the Re-Employment Services Program.

This is just a partial list of reasons you may
be disqualified or ineligible
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Fraud Another more serious disqualification is
for making a False Statement or failing to tell
us an important fact, such as working while
drawing benefits. Do Not Be Guilty of Fraud! If
you make a False Statement in claiming benefits,
you can be disqualified for up to 52 weeks! There
are other penalties for fraud, too, such as Fines
and Possible Imprisonment. Also, all benefits
fraudulently received Must Be Repaid to the
Office of Employment Training. Interest will
accrue and there may be a lien filing fee as well
as a lien release fee.
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Important Unemployment Insurance Information

• You must not rely solely on Office of Employment
  Training or any single job lead source to get a
  job. Occasionally, while claiming unemployment
  insurance benefits, you will be required to
  report to the Office of Employment Training to
  discuss your work search efforts. The Office of
  Employment Training will want to know which
  employers you have contacted, when you contacted
  them, who you contacted at each location, the
  phone number and the results of those contacts.
•  You must bring this information with you when
  you report to the Office of Employment Training
  for an in-person eligibility review.
• Unemployment insurance claimants are allowed a
  reasonable period of time to find work that is
  comparable in pay and skill level to their most
  recent employment. However, if you are unable to
  find such work after a reasonable period of time
  or that type of work is not available in your
  local labor market, you will be required to lower
  your expectations and seek employment that pays
  less or is at a lower skill level than you are
  accustomed.

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Re-Employment Services Program

• The Re-Employment Services Program is a team of
  employment/reemployment specialists located in
  Local Offices throughout the state. They use
  motivational group job search sessions, and
  modern technology ranging from the Internet to
  virtual interviewing -to recruit, screen,
  motivate and place a more diverse range of
  qualified job applicants.

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How to prepare to file your Unemployment
Insurance claim.

•  Make it easy on yourself and avoid unnecessary
  filing delays Regardless of how you choose to
  file your Unemployment Insurance Claim (Internet
  or Telephone), you must have the following
  information to successfully submit your claim
•  Your Social Security Number
•  Your complete mailing address
• Your most recent (for the past 18 months)
  employers business names, complete mailing
  addresses, and phone numbers
• The exact month, day, and year that you began
  work for each of your recent (for the past 18
  months) employers
• The exact month, day, and year that you last
  worked for each of your recent employers

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• The options for filing a claim for
• Unemployment Insurance Benefits
• You can now file your claim for Unemployment
  Insurance Benefits Online, no more long waits to
  file your claim.
• This service is available at www.kewes.ky.gov ,
  24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• The directions are in your information today.

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Additional options for filing an Unemployment
Insurance Benefit Claim

• Filing by Telephone If you have all the
  necessary information and a touch-tone telephone,
  you can also file your Unemployment Claim by
  Telephone between 730am-530pm Eastern Time. The
  number is (859-547-3362).
• (This is not a Toll Free number.)

• Electronic filing from our office If you choose
  to file your Unemployment Insurance claim from
  our local office/One-Stop Center customer service
  representatives are available to help you. You
  can receive assistance as you file your claim
  electronically in our resource room.

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Trade Act Programs
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The Petition Process for Trade Act Programs

• 1. A group of three or more workers, a company
  official, a union or other dually authorized
  representative, or a One-Stop operator can file
  a petition with the U.S. Department of Labors
  Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance (DTAA)
  and the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)
  Coordinator of Dislocated Worker Unit of the
  state in which the employer is located.
•  
• 2. After investigating the petition, which can
  take typically 40 days, DTAA certifies or denies
  eligibility to apply for TAA services and
  benefits and notifies petitioners and a company
  official.
•  Certified workers individually apply for
  services through
• their local Career Centers.
• Denied workers may appeal.
• 3. Workers must be enrolled in training 8 weeks
  after certification of 16 weeks after their last
  qualifying separation to receive TRA benefits or
  a waiver of training enrollment must be granted
  by the state.

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Based on individual eligibility, members of a
Trade petition certified worker group may receive
one or more of the following Reemployment Trade
Services available at Barren River Area Career
Centers

• Job Search Registration
• Employment Counseling
• Case Assessment
• Job Development
• Supportive Services
• Self-Directed Job Search Services

• Job Search Allowances For costs of job search
  outside of the local area (anything over 100
  miles one way), reimbursement of 90 of the cost
  up to a maximum of 1,250.00.
• Relocation Allowances For costs of relocating to
  a job outside of the local area (anything over
  100 miles one way). Three estimates are required
  from commercial carriers for household moving
  expenses.

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More Reemployment Services available at Barren
River Area Career Centers for Trade eligible
individuals, who are members of a Trade petition
certified worker group

• Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA) Up to 104
  weeks of cash payments for eligible workers
  enrolled in full-time training.
• Basic or remedial education (including literacy
  training and English as a Second Language)
• Up to 26 additional weeks are available to
  workers who require remedial training.
• Training Services Up to 104 weeks of approved
  training, includingClassroom training
• Workers must be enrolled in training 8 weeks
  after certification or 16 weeks after separation
  to receive or to be eligible for TRA benefits,
  HCTC, or a wavier issued by OET of training
  enrollment must be granted by the state.
• Employer-based training

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Health Care Tax Credit for Trade eligible
individuals, who are members of a Trade petition
certified worker group (HCTC)

• Health Insurance Coverage Assistance Tax credits
  covering up to 65 of the monthly health
  insurance premium paid by an eligible
  participant.
• Kentuckys Health Insurance Assistance program
• Melissa Wiley 502-564-7456
• The Kentucky Department for Workforce Investment
  received a federal grant to make the continuation
  of healthcare affordable for more workers
  certified under the Trade Adjustment Assistance
  (TAA) program.
• It will pay 65 percent of the cost of qualified
  health insurance coverage for up to three months.
  The program will help to bridge the gap until
  the individual can complete the registration for
  the primary healthcare assistance (HCTC) that is
  administered by the Internal Revenue Service
  (IRS).
• Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is offering Blue
  Accesssm Trade Adjustment
• The registration form for both the Kentucky gap
  filler assistance and the IRS tax credit is
  available at the OET one stop Career Centers
• Kentuckys gap filler and the IRS tax credit can
  be used to pay for other types of automatically
  qualified insurance including coverage under a
  COBRA continuation provision, a spouses
  employer-sponsored plan, an individuals health
  insurance plan and state continuation coverage.

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Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA)

• ATAA is designed to allow TAA eligible workers
  for whom retraining may not be appropriate and
  who find reemployment to receive a wage subsidy
  when there is a salary gap between their old and
  new employment. These claimants are eligible for
  the Health Coverage Tax Credit and Relocation
  Allowance, in addition to the ATAA allowance.

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Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA)
Certification criteria

• Eligibility To receive ATAA benefits, workers
  must be eligible for TAA under an ATAA certified
  petition
• A significant number of adversely affected
  workers in the petitioning workers firm are 50
  years of age or older.
• The adversely affected workers in the petitioning
  workers firm possess job skills that are not
  easily transferable to other employment and
• The competitive conditions within the affected
  workers industry are adverse.

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Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA)
Individuals Criteria

• Be at least age 50 at time of reemployment.
• Obtain full time reemployment (as determined by
  the employer) by the last day of the 26th week
  after the workers qualifying separation from the
  TAA/ATAA certified employment.
• Must not be expected to earn more than 50,000
  annually in gross wages (excluding overtime pay)
  from the reemployment.
• Cannot return to work to the employment from
  which the worker was separated. Thus, the worker
  cannot return to the same division/facility that
  he/she was separated from nor can the worker do
  the same or similar work for the employer that
  he/she was separated from in another
  division/facility.
• Some Restrictions may apply- for further
  important information on anything concerning ATAA
  please visit your local Career Center.
• Application Process Workers who seek the
  benefits and services available under the ATAA
  program must file a regular TAA petition and
  indicate on the form that the worker group
  request consideration for eligibility under the
  ATAA program.

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Trade Act Programs Contact InformationDivision
of Trade Adjustment Assistance United States
Department of Labor Employment and Training
Administration Division of Trade Adjustment
Assistance Room C-5311200 Constitution Ave.,
N.W. Washington, DC 20210Phone
202-693-3560Fax [phone] or 3585Web
http//www.doleta.gov/tradeactLocal Career
Center To find the nearest One-Stop Career
Center, State TAA Coordinator, and Dislocated
Workers Units, call 1-877-US2-JOBS,
1-877-889-5627 (TTY), or visit the Americas
Service LocatorWeb site at http//www.serviceloc
ator.org
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Workforce Investment Act One Stop Career
Centers WIA Title 1 Dislocated Worker
Program
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One Stop Career Centers Services

• Job search assistance including up to date job
  postings, career counseling and access to online
  job sites
• Access to computers, faxes, phones, and reference
  materials for job searches
• Career resources including tools to help you
  create a resume, skill assessments, testing
  services, links to area employers, education,
  job readiness and / or training opportunities
• Workshops on resume writing, occupational
  preparation, and interviewing techniques
• Specialized services are available for Farm
  workers, youth, individuals with a disability,
  dislocated workers, and older workers (ages 55
  up)

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Area One Stop Career Centers

• Workforce Investment Act Title 1 Dislocated
  Worker Program
• If you have been laid off from your job and are
  currently receiving or have exhausted your
  unemployment insurance benefits, you may be
  eligible for special services
• Customized Career Counseling, skills assessment,
  resume preparation and career search assistance
• Educational services and training programs for
  those who lack current marketable skills.
• Financial Assistance to qualified individuals who
  have to schedule job interviews, and/or relocate
  to a new job more than sixty miles away.

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Kentucky Adult EducationCouncil on Postsecondary
Education
Adult Continuing Education Programs
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Kentucky Adult EducationCouncil on Postsecondary
Education

• Key Services
• Instruction to develop or improve basic academic
  skills such as writing, mathematics, science,
  social studies and English as a second language.
• Preparation for the General Education Development
  (GED) test
• Family literacy programs for parents who need
  instruction in basic academic and employability
  skills along with activities emphasizing
  parenting and other life skills. These programs
  also ensure that children are provided age-
  appropriate , educational instruction in order to
  raise the educational levels and aspirations of
  the family all in one setting.

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Kentucky Adult EducationCouncil on Postsecondary
Education

• Key Services (continued)
• Instruction to adults who face barriers in
  obtaining additional education can be provided at
  their jobsite. Working with employers and labor
  unions, instructors use everyday work situations
  to provide basic skills.
• Skill assessments and related instruction to
  assist learners as they purse a chosen career
  path.
• FREE online learning through Kentucky Virtual
  Adult Education
• (www.KYVAE.org) providing adult learners and
  instructors to access to literacy information,
  curriculum, resources and services. For
  assistance with online learning call
  1-877-740-4357

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Kentucky Adult EducationCouncil on Postsecondary
Education

• Key Services (continued)
• Competency-based Instruction and
  CertificationsKYAE local adult education centers
  provide instruction to prepare students to take
  the ACT WorkKeys assessment. The attainment of a
  minimum score qualifies a student for the
  Kentucky Employability Certificate (KEC), which
  is a standardized credential that validates
  reading, math and locating information skills for
  specific occupations. KYAE programs also provide
  targeted instruction to certify adult students
  for the Kentucky Manufacturing Skills Standards
  (KMSS) assessment, which is administered by the
  Kentucky Kentucky Community and Technical College
  System. The KMSS is based on the academic,
  employability and occupational skills identified
  by an industry task force as necessary for
  employment in the manufacturing sector.
• To contact KYAE call 1-800-928-7323 or (502)
  573-5114 or visit our Web site at
  http//adulted.state.ky.us

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Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
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Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
http//ovr.ky.gov/index.htm

• The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation provides
  services to assist eligible Kentuckians with
  disabilities achieve their career goals.
• We provide assistance to those trying to find a
  position or maintain present employment.

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Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

• Eligibility
•  A person must have a physical or mental
  disability
• This disability must constitute or result in a
  substantial impediment to employment.

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Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

• We Serve Individuals With the Following
  Disabilities
•           Physical
•           Mental
•           Developmental
•           Hearing Loss
•           Deafness
• Learning
• The one group of individuals with disabilities
  that we do not serve are those with visual
  impairments. These individuals are served by
  our sister agency, the Office for the Blind.

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Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

• Services Provided to Eligible Individuals
• Assessment
•   Counseling and Guidance
•   Job Development, Placement and Follow-Up
•   Training Assistance, if necessary
•    Rehabilitation Technology

For more information or to locate a Office of
Vocational Rehabilitation near you, Please
call 1-800-372-7172 (Voice/TTY)
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Your Health Department
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Kentucky Childrens Health Insurance Program
(KCHIP)

• reduced-cost health insurance for Kentucky
  Children
• Families with children 1 through 18 years of age.
• Based on income guideline
• Phone 1-877-KCHIP(52447)-18
• 1-877-524-4718

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U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits
Security Administration http//www.dol.gov/ebsa/

• 1-866-444-3272

46
COBRA

• Employer has 30 days to notify plan administrator
  of the qualifying event.
• Plan administrator has 14 days to notify
  qualified beneficiaries.
• Qualified beneficiaries have 60 days for
  election. This is measured from the later of the
  coverage loss date or the date of the COBRA
  election notice is provided.

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COBRA

• After making the election, qualified
  beneficiaries have 45 days to pay initial
  premiums.
• Payment generally must cover the period of
  coverage from the date of COBRA election
  retroactive to the date of the loss of coverage,
  due to the qualifying event.
• The premium cannot exceed 102 of the cost of the
  plan.

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Other Options

• Kentucky Childrens Health Insurance Program
  (KCHIP)
• Veterans Healthcare Administration
• Individual Policy
• Spouses Employer Sponsored Plan

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HIPAA

• Pre-existing condition
• 12 months maximum exclusion period 18 months
  for late enrollees
• Waiting period runs concurrently with exclusion
  period and does not count toward a significant
  break in coverage.
• Reduced by periods of creditable coverage.

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HIPAA

• A plan is not required to count days of coverage
  that occur before a significant break.
• 63 days is deemed a significant break in coverage

51
HIPAA

• Special Enrollment allows an individual who
  previously declined coverage to enroll
• If the individual loses other coverage and
  requests enrollment within 30 days after the
  prior coverage ends.
• If the individual has or becomes a new dependent
  through marriage, birth, adoption, or placement
  for adoption.

52
HIPAA

• Individuals who lose coverage and are entitled to
  elect COBRA, should receive a certificate of
  creditable coverage.
• Individuals who cease COBRA should also receive a
  certificate of creditable coverage.

53
ERISA

• Make sure you have a Summary Plan Description
  (SPD)
• A Summary Plan Description tells if you are able
  and when you can collect your pension or how to
  roll over your 401(k) contributions to a new
  employers plan or to an IRA (if your old plan
  permits it)

54
ERISA

• If able to obtain payment in lump sum, if the
  check is sent directly to participant and not
  rolled over, consequences to be aware of
• 10 penalty if not 59 ½ , some plans 55
• 20 for taxes
• following year filing income tax
• Could affect unemployment compensation

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Americas One Stop Career Center Service
Locator http//www.servicelocator.org/ 1-877-US-
2JOBS
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(No Transcript)
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Thank you for your time and attention