Father Knows Best
By Roscoe Chambers

I'm the proud father of (you guessed it) Peppur Chambers. Our family has been in the Human Resources and owners of an Executive Search firm for several years. And because “FATHER KNOWS BEST” I’ve been asked to contribute to the award winning “Brown Betties Gazette”. I will attempt to provide pertinent information pertaining to employment search strategy for job seekers, various employment articles, and postings of open job opportunities nationwide.

Greetings Readers,

Now, let’s talk about that “Extended Inshoance” as some may call it. Let’s be clear, in a nutshell “COBRA” is extended healthcare that is offered by the company when you leave the company for whatever reasons. However, if you select COBRA you are required to pay the premium for healthcare benefits and no longer eligible to receive benefits at the reduced rates provided by your employer. At the time of termination your HR representative should provide the appropriate documents and explain the program accordingly. If you don’t receive this information ……ASK for it. COBRA is good for 18 months; however, at the end of 18 months you can request to extend the coverage.

Having said that, our economy has obviously gone through some major hits over the last year. The new administration has taken on some major legislative changes in hopes of not only stimulating the economy, but also protecting families who have lost their jobs (or who will lose their jobs). Remember, until recently, the number one reason that families would go bankrupt was medical debt. Thus, encouraging hard-hit families to keep their medical coverage, even though they may be out of work, is a smart decision - and a meaningful one across the board.
But now that President O-BAM-A is in the house, he signed the new “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)” into law in February of this year. This is a great thing for the ever-growing number of Americans who have lost their jobs over the last year. But like most COBRA legislation, it does create more work for employers……..But who cares!

Roscoe Chambers II is also the President of The Kennedy Group, LLC, an executive search firm that takes a broad approach in the staffing of various industries and disciplines covering levels from middle- to upper- management. Please contact him at Rchambers07@gmail.com