Medical Expense✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 2/5
If a COBRA beneficiary becomes disabled under Social Security during the continuation period, COBRA coverage may be extended to a maximum total of:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why B is correct
When a qualified beneficiary is determined to be disabled under Social Security rules during the initial 18-month COBRA period, the continuation period may be extended to a total of 29 months. The disability determination must be provided to the plan administrator within 60 days of the determination, and the plan may charge up to 150 percent of the applicable premium during the extended period. The extension recognizes that disabled individuals often need more time to transition to other coverage.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) Eighteen months is the base period before any disability extension is added.
- C) Thirty-six months is the period for dependent qualifying events such as divorce, death of the employee, or a child aging out, not for the employee's disability.
- D) Twenty-four months is not a COBRA continuation period; the correct disability-extended total is 29 months.
Memory hook
Disability adds 11 months on top of 18: 29 total. Social Security's finding is the key that unlocks the extra time.