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When must the initial notice be sent to covered employees and spouses?

Group health plans must give each employee and each spouse of an employee who becomes covered under then plan a general notice describing COBRA rights.  The general notice must be provided within the first 90 days of coverage.  

The Department of Labor has developed a model general notice that single-employer group health plans may use to satisfy the general notice requirement.  In order to use this model general notice properly, the plan administrator must complete it by filling in the blanks with the appropriate plan information,  Use of the properly completed model general notice will be considered by the Department to be a good faith compliance with the general notice content requirements of COBRA.