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Qualifying Life Events for Health Insurance?

I am doing some planning for later part of this year when my wife becomes unemployed (voluntary). I hope a HR specialist in benefits can help answer some questions that I have. Situation: My wife will voluntarily resign from her job (effective end of August). She is planning on going on Cobra for 1 to 2 months because she has reached her deductible max and out of pocket max. She is planning on major medical procedure in September/October timeframe, so for us, it will be cost effective to wait until the procedure is over before moving her to my insurance plan. Our Plan: Once the medical procedure is completed, we want to then get off of Cobra and add her to my insurance plan. We know she qualifies to get on Cobra and can end the Cobra coverage after a couple months. Questions: 1) What qualifies as a life event where I can then add her to my health insurance? I know end of employment qualifies (August 31st)? Does end of Cobra coverage 2 months after end of employment qualify (October 31st)? 2) If I can add her to my insurance at the end of Cobra coverage, is the effective coverage date back to September 1st when she is unemployed or can it start November 1st when the Cobra runs out? From what I understand, if the coverage effective start date is September 1st, Cobra becomes secondary to my insurance (which will be worthless to me because my insurance would be on the hook to cover the medical procedure). Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

Public Comments

1. Actually, the qualifying event is "change in your work status". SO, as soon as she quits, THAT DATE is a qualifying event. Deciding to quit COBRA, is NOT a qualifying event. One thing you should check, is when "open enrollment" comes around - because you can keep COBRA up to 18 months, and quit when your open enrollment period comes around and you can add her then. When you add her to your policy due to a qualifying event, you have 30 days FROM the date of the event to add her, and you add her EFFECTIVE the date of the event. That will be September 1st. Her COBRA in her name is primary to YOUR insurance that covers her, as long as she keeps the COBRA.
2. You are making this unnecessarily complicated. Just keep her on COBRA until the next open enrollment at your employer. Add her to your plan then, without needing a qualifying event.