The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) requires that DallasNews Corporation offer you and your covered family members the option to extend certain coverage through the company if your benefits end because of one of the following qualifying events:

If your coverage ends for any of the above reasons, you may purchase coverage for you and your dependents through COBRA for up to 18 months. Your coverage under COBRA will be identical to the coverage offered under this plan to active employees, including any future plan changes. However, you will pay 100% of the cost of your continued coverage plus a 2% administration fee. The cost of coverage is subject to change each year. The company’s COBRA Administrator, TaxSaver Plan, will notify you of your right to continue coverage through COBRA by sending you a notification letter and a COBRA enrollment form.

In case of your divorce or legal separation or a dependent reaching the limiting age for coverage, you must notify your benefit administrator that a dependent is no longer eligible for coverage within 60 days of the event. You should provide an address for the participant losing coverage so an information package explaining COBRA coverage rights can be sent to your dependent. If DallasNews Corporation does not receive notice within 60 days after the event, a COBRA information package will not be sent to your dependent.

If you become disabled as defined by Social Security, you may extend your COBRA coverage an additional 11 months beyond the 18-month coverage period described above (for a total of 29 months). However, your cost for the 11-month extension period will be higher than the first 18 months of coverage. During these 11 months, your cost will be 150% of the regular premium.

To receive coverage for an additional 11 months, you must:

Your dependents may also purchase COBRA coverage if their coverage under the plan ends because of one of the following qualifying events:

Special Rule for Retirees Covered in Certain Circumstances — Sometimes, filing a proceeding in bankruptcy under title 11 of the United States Code can be a qualifying event. If a proceeding in bankruptcy is filed with respect to DallasNews Corporation, and that bankruptcy results in the loss of coverage of any retired employee covered under the Plan, the retired employee will become a qualified beneficiary. The retired employee’s spouse, surviving spouse and dependent children will also become qualified beneficiaries if bankruptcy results in the loss of their coverage under the Plan.

If your dependents’ coverage ends for any of the above reasons, they may elect coverage through COBRA for up to 36 months. Your dependents will pay 100% of the cost of their continued coverage plus a 2% administration fee. The cost of coverage is subject to change each year.

You or your dependents must notify DallasNews Corporation Benefits within 60 days if you and your spouse divorce or legally separate, or your dependent becomes ineligible for coverage. The company’s COBRA administrator will issue you or your dependent a COBRA notification letter and an enrollment form. If you die, the company’s COBRA administrator (provided they are notified of the event) will issue your dependents a COBRA notification letter and enrollment form.

If your dependents are covered under COBRA due to your termination of employment or reduction in hours and a second qualifying event occurs that would have caused a loss of coverage, your dependents may be eligible to elect up to an additional 18 months of coverage (for a total of 36 months from your date of termination). To qualify for extended coverage, you or your dependents must notify DallasNews Corporation Benefits or the company’s COBRA administrator within 60 days of the second event.

If you became entitled to Medicare before your qualifying event, COBRA law allows you to remain eligible for up to 18 months of COBRA coverage. When the qualifying event is the end of employment or reduction of hours, and you became entitled to Medicare less than 18 months before the qualifying event, COBRA continuation for your spouse and dependents can last up to 36 months after you become entitled to Medicare. For example, if you are a covered employee and you become entitled to Medicare eight months before the date of your orher qualifying event (termination or reduction of hours), COBRA continuation for your spouse and children would last 28 months (e.g., 36 months minus 8 months). The company’s COBRA administrator, TaxSaver Plan, must be notified and provided Medicare documentation prior to the end of the original 18 months to qualify for the additional continuation.