Under COBRA, a dependent child who loses group health coverage because of reaching the plan's maximum dependent age may continue that coverage for up to:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
COBRA continuation periods differ by qualifying event. Loss of coverage because a dependent child reaches the plan's maximum dependent age is a distinct qualifying event that entitles the dependent to up to 36 months of continuation coverage — longer than the 18 months allowed for loss of coverage due to termination of employment or reduction of hours. The extended period recognizes that an aging-out dependent is typically transitioning to adult coverage and needs additional time to secure it. The 36-month figure makes A the correct answer.
Why the other options are wrong
B) 18 months is the COBRA period for loss of coverage caused by termination of employment or reduction of hours, not for a dependent aging out of the plan. The 18-month period attaches to employment-termination qualifying events, not dependent aging.
C) 6 months is not a standard COBRA continuation period under the federal rules for any qualifying event. Six months appears nowhere in the federal COBRA continuation schedule.
D) 12 weeks relates to FMLA family and medical leave protections, which are unpaid job-protection rights, not COBRA continuation coverage periods. FMLA's 12 weeks concerns job protection during leave, a different statute and a different purpose.
Memory hook
Aging out buys 36 months; getting fired buys 18. The kid's runway is twice as long as the ex-employee's.
When a dependent child loses coverage under a parent's group plan because the child exceeds the plan's maximum dependent age, continuation coverage may be extended for up to:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Under COBRA, a dependent child who loses coverage because of aging out — exceeding the plan's dependent age limit — is entitled to continuation coverage for up to 36 months. The 36-month period is the longer of the COBRA periods and applies specifically to dependent-related qualifying events such as aging out or divorce. In California, Cal-COBRA provides the same 36-month continuation to dependents of employees at smaller employers. The 18-month baseline applies to employment-related events like termination. The extended period is measured from the original qualifying event, and the dependent must pay the full continuation premium including the administrative charge, just as with any COBRA continuation.
Why the other options are wrong
B) Eighteen months is the COBRA period for termination of employment or reduction in hours, not for a dependent aging out.
C) Twelve months is not a recognized COBRA continuation period for any standard qualifying event.
D) Six months is not a COBRA period; continuation coverage for qualifying events runs 18 or 36 months.
Memory hook
Aging out is the 36-month door — dependents outgrow the plan, not the COBRA clock.
A dependent child loses coverage under a parent's group health plan solely because the child has reached the plan's age limit for dependents. Under COBRA, this child may continue coverage for up to:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Under COBRA, a dependent child who would lose group coverage because of a qualifying event is entitled to continuation coverage for up to 36 months. The aging out of a dependent is expressly a 36-month qualifying event, longer than the 18-month period that applies to an employee's termination or reduction of hours. The child must generally pay up to 102% of the group premium for the continuation period. This rule is important because a young adult who ages out of the plan needs a bridge to other coverage, and COBRA provides the longest continuation window for that situation.
Why the other options are wrong
B) 18 months is the continuation period for an employee's own qualifying event such as termination of employment or reduction of hours, not for a dependent aging out.
C) 12 months is not a COBRA continuation period under the statute; COBRA uses 18, 29, and 36-month windows.
D) 6 months is not a COBRA continuation period and would leave the dependent with no statutory bridge to new coverage.
Memory hook
Child hits the age limit: COBRA keeps the door open for the longest window, 36 months.
A dependent child who loses coverage under a parent's group plan because of reaching the plan's maximum dependent age may continue coverage under COBRA for up to:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
A dependent's aging out of a group plan is a qualifying event that triggers a 36-month COBRA continuation period, longer than the 18 months allowed for an employee's termination. This extended period reflects the fact that a dependent losing coverage is not losing a job but losing eligibility. The ACA's age-26 dependent coverage and the COBRA aging-out extension are paired concepts examined under AH-III.C.6, which tests both how long dependents can stay covered and how they continue when the coverage ends.
Why the other options are wrong
B) Eighteen months applies to termination of employment or reduction in hours, not to a dependent aging out.
C) Twelve months is not a COBRA continuation period for any qualifying event.
D) No COBRA qualifying event carries a five-year continuation period.
Memory hook
Aging out of the family plan buys 36 months of COBRA runway.
A dependent child loses eligibility under a parent's employer group plan because the child has exceeded the plan's age limit. Under COBRA, the child is generally entitled to continuation coverage for up to:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
COBRA provides two continuation durations. The general event, termination of employment or reduction in hours, allows 18 months. Certain second qualifying events extend coverage, and dependents who lose coverage because they age out of the plan, reaching the plan's maximum dependent age, are entitled to up to 36 months of continuation coverage. The 36-month figure is the specific tested number for dependents aging out of group coverage. The 36-month period is reserved for the dependent-focused qualifying events: aging out of dependent coverage, divorce, death, or the covered employee's Medicare entitlement. The longer window recognizes that dependents who lose coverage through family status changes face a more severe disruption and need a longer bridge.
Why the other options are wrong
B) 18 months applies to the employee's own loss of coverage from termination or reduced hours, not to a dependent aging out. 18 months is the standard COBRA period for the covered employee's termination or reduced hours, not for a dependent's loss of eligibility at the plan age limit.
C) 6 months is not a standard COBRA continuation duration. Six months is not a recognized COBRA continuation period under the federal statute. Federal COBRA periods are limited to the durations the statute specifies, and six months is not among them.
D) 12 months is not the COBRA duration for aging-out dependents; it is 36 months. Twelve months is not a COBRA period; dependent loss-of-coverage qualifying events carry a 36-month continuation entitlement.
Memory hook
Aging out of the plan = 36 months of COBRA runway for the departing dependent.
A dependent child who 'ages out' of a parent's group health plan because of reaching the plan's coverage limit may continue coverage under COBRA for up to:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
COBRA permits a dependent who ages out of a group health plan, meaning the child is no longer an eligible dependent, to continue coverage under the group plan for up to 36 months. This is one of the dependent qualifying events under COBRA, which also include divorce and the death of the covered employee. The 36-month period is longer than the 18-month base period because it applies to the loss of dependent status rather than the employee's own termination.
Why the other options are wrong
B) Eighteen months is the base COBRA period for termination of employment or reduction of hours, not for a dependent aging out.
C) Twenty-nine months is the disability-extended period for a qualified beneficiary who becomes disabled under Social Security rules.
D) Twelve months is not a COBRA continuation period for any qualifying event.
Memory hook
Aging out of the group = up to 36 months of COBRA for the dependent. The child's own ticket is the longest one.
A dependent child ages out of eligibility under a parent's COBRA-qualified group health plan because of the age limit. Under COBRA, the child may continue coverage for up to:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
COBRA continuation coverage lasts up to 18 months for most qualifying events, but a dependent who loses coverage because of a qualifying event such as aging out of dependent status is entitled to up to 36 months of continuation coverage. The longer 36-month period reflects the greater risk of dependency loss. This COBRA aging-out rule is a specific figure in the ACA/COBRA material tested on the A&H exam.
Why the other options are wrong
B) 18 months is the general COBRA period for an employee's own loss of coverage (such as job loss or reduced hours), not the aging-out period for a dependent.
C) 24 months is not a COBRA continuation period; the dependent aging-out window is 36 months.
D) 12 months is not a COBRA period; dependent loss due to aging out extends to 36 months.
Memory hook
Age-out dependents get the long runway: 36 months of COBRA, double the usual 18.
A dependent child who ages out of a parent's group health plan at age 26 and loses coverage may continue coverage under COBRA for up to:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
The Affordable Care Act allows children to remain on a parent's group health plan until age 26. Once a dependent loses eligibility by reaching that age, the loss of coverage is a COBRA qualifying event, and COBRA continuation coverage for the dependent may last up to 36 months. This aging-out extension is a specific exam number in the PPACA objectives, and it is distinct from the 18-month COBRA period that applies to employees who lose coverage due to termination.
Why the other options are wrong
B) 12 months is not the COBRA maximum for dependent aging-out; the correct figure is 36 months.
C) 6 months is not a COBRA continuation period at all under the federal rules.
D) 18 months is the general COBRA period for loss of employment for the employee, not the 36-month period for a dependent who ages out.
Memory hook
Aging out at 26 buys 36 months of COBRA — three years to land coverage of your own.
Under COBRA, a dependent child who loses coverage because of 'aging out' of the parent's group plan may continue coverage for up to:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
COBRA continuation periods vary by qualifying event. Loss of coverage because the dependent child ceases to be an eligible dependent, commonly called aging out, is a qualifying event that entitles the child to continuation coverage for up to 36 months. The more familiar 18-month period applies to the employee's own loss of coverage due to termination of employment or reduction of hours, and in some cases to the spouse. The 36-month period for dependents who age out is a specific exam number that must not be confused with the standard 18-month rule.
Why the other options are wrong
B) 18 months is the COBRA continuation period for employees and their spouses after termination of employment or reduction of hours, not for a child who has aged out of dependency.
C) 6 months is not a COBRA continuation period. Federal COBRA provides continuation periods of 18 or 36 months depending on the qualifying event.
D) 12 months is not a COBRA period. The statute grants 18 or 36 months of continuation, and dependents who age out receive the longer 36-month period.
Memory hook
Aging out = 36. Fired = 18. Dependents leaving the nest get double the runway.
A dependent child who loses coverage under a parent's group health plan because of age is permitted under COBRA to:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
When a dependent child ages out of a group health plan, COBRA treats the loss of dependent status as a qualifying event, allowing the child to continue coverage under the group plan for up to 36 months. This extended period gives the child time to arrange other coverage. The 36-month COBRA continuation for aging-out dependents is expressly stated in the PPACA-dependent-coverage material under AH-III.C.6, and it is distinct from the 18-month period generally available for employment termination.
Why the other options are wrong
B) The continuation period is 36 months, not a single billing cycle.
C) COBRA provides a limited continuation period; it does not create lifetime employer coverage.
D) Medicare eligibility is independent and is not automatically granted through COBRA aging out.
Memory hook
Aging out of the group plan? COBRA buys up to 36 more months.
A dependent child ages out of a parent's group health plan and loses eligibility as a dependent. Under COBRA, the child is entitled to continuation coverage for up to:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
When a dependent child loses eligibility under a parent's group plan because of age, commonly referred to as aging out, that loss of dependent status is a COBRA qualifying event. The child is entitled to continuation coverage for up to 36 months from the date of the event. The 36-month period is longer than the standard 18-month employee continuation period because the dependent loses coverage through no action of their own. This is a distinct rule from the ACA's requirement that dependents be covered until age 26.
Why the other options are wrong
B) 18 months is the continuation period for the employee's own termination or reduction of hours, not for a dependent aging out.
C) 12 months is not a COBRA continuation period for aging-out dependents; COBRA uses 36 months for loss of dependent status.
D) 6 months is not a COBRA continuation period; the dependent qualifying event carries the full 36-month entitlement.
Memory hook
Dependent loses coverage by aging out: 36 months of COBRA. Kids get the longest continuation.
Which of the following COBRA qualifying events entitles the qualified beneficiary to the maximum continuation period of 36 months?
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why B is correct
Loss of dependent status, such as a dependent child reaching the plan's maximum coverage age, is a COBRA qualifying event that entitles the child to continuation coverage for up to 36 months, the longest of the standard periods. By contrast, termination of employment, voluntary or involuntary, and reduction in work hours generally entitle the qualified beneficiary to only 18 months, extendable to 29 months in cases of disability.
Why the other options are wrong
A) Voluntary termination of employment is still a termination of employment, which carries an 18-month COBRA period, not the 36-month maximum.
C) A reduction in hours is a qualifying event, but it carries the standard 18-month continuation period rather than 36 months.
D) An approved medical leave of absence, such as FMLA leave, generally is not a COBRA qualifying event at all, because coverage under the group plan typically continues during the leave.
Memory hook
Aging out = 36 months of COBRA. Losing a job = 18 months. Remember 18 for work, 36 for dependents.