Managed Benefits · Washington
Washington is a mini-COBRA state: smaller employers must let departing employees keep group coverage under state law. BEG Managed Benefits, powered by isolved, runs the notices, elections, and premium tracking so the rules are handled. You keep your broker; we do the administration.
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Washington Continuation, In Brief
| State law | RCW 48.21.250 (continuation option); RCW 48.21.260 (conversion). Parallel provisions apply to health care service contractors (RCW 48.44) and HMOs (RCW 48.46). |
| Employers covered | Applies to insurers issuing group hospital/medical coverage; the continuation provision is offered to the policyholder (employer) as an option regardless of size. Federal COBRA covers employers with 20+ employees; Washington's continuation option fills the. |
| Maximum continuation | Set by state statute |
| At 20 or more employees | Federal COBRA applies instead |
| Marketplace | Runs its own state-based marketplace: Washington Healthplanfinder (https://www.wahealthplanfinder.org/). |
Source: Washington statute and department of insurance (app.leg.wa.gov). This page is general information, not legal advice.
Why It Lands On You
The Washington rule reaches companies too small to have a benefits department, yet the notices, election windows, and premium tracking look a lot like federal COBRA. Miss a required notice and the exposure accrues per person. BEG Managed Benefits, powered by isolved, runs Washington continuation the same way it runs enrollment: notices generated on the qualifying event, elections and payments tracked, and the clock watched so nothing slips. Your broker keeps advising you and placing coverage. We own the administration behind it.
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See COBRA vs mini-COBRA, or return to the Managed Benefits overview.
Questions
Yes. Washington has a state continuation, or mini-COBRA, law that lets employees of smaller companies keep group health coverage after a qualifying event, filling the gap below the federal COBRA threshold of 20 employees. Applies to insurers issuing group hospital/medical coverage; the continuation provision is offered to the policyholder (employer) as an option regardless of size. Federal COBRA covers employers with 20+ employees; Washington's continuation option fills the.
The maximum period is set by Washington statute. See the state source linked on this page for the exact duration.
A person who becomes ineligible for coverage under the group policy (employee, member, spouse, or dependent), where the policyholder elected to include the continuation provision. On termination of continuation, the covered person may convert to an individual policy under RCW 48.21.260.
No. Federal COBRA applies to employers with 20 or more employees, and the Washington law covers the smaller groups federal COBRA does not reach. A company is generally subject to one or the other based on size.
The employer and insurer carry the notice and election duties, and the exposure accrues per person if they are missed. BEG Managed Benefits, powered by isolved, runs enrollment, notices, election tracking, and premium status in one system. You keep your broker; we do the administration.
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