This article is for admins whose companies are subject to Federal COBRA and are set up with or would like to be set up with Gusto’s COBRA partner, Anuvi. It’s also for employees whose employer is subject to Federal COBRA and uses Anuvi for administration.
Anuvi is a COBRA administrator provided by Gusto to companies subject to COBRA. For more information on Federal COBRA and State Continuation, refer to our general COBRA and state continuation guide.
If your company is subject to Federal COBRA and chooses not to use Anuvi, you’re responsible for managing all aspects of COBRA compliance.
For companies offering benefits through Gusto, there is no additional cost for Anuvi’s COBRA administration. You’ll be onboarded to Anuvi automatically unless you contact us to decline the service.
Note: You may notice a fee of $1 per participant on the Anuvi contract—this does not apply to companies using Anuvi through Gusto.
For companies using the broker integration, a fee of $30 per company per month is billed through Gusto. You must agree to this charge via your broker intake form or another written confirmation before your account can be set up.
Note: You may notice a fee of $1 per participant on the Anuvi contract—this does not apply to companies using Anuvi through Gusto.
If we determine your company is subject to Federal COBRA, we’ll automatically start onboarding you to Anuvi.
Anuvi will email you two forms to sign in the process: a contract and a third-party authorization form. These forms authorize Anuvi to make enrollment changes with your carriers on your behalf.
Note: Failure to sign the contract or TPA form could result in compliance issues if your COBRA insurance goes unadministered after your intended start date.
Once you sign the forms, we’ll fully onboard your company to Anuvi. We send them your plan information, COBRA enrollees, and ERISA documentation.
Set up Anuvi while setting up the broker integration
If you’re currently integrating your company’s benefits with Gusto, you can opt in to Anuvi’s services on the broker intake form you fill out while onboarding. The form includes a spot to agree to their $30 per month COBRA administration fee and we’ll start setting you up with Anuvi. Once your request is processed, Anuvi will email you a contract to sign and a third-party authorization form.
Note: Failure to sign the contract or TPA form could result in compliance issues if your COBRA insurance goes unadministered after your intended start date.
Once you sign the forms, we’ll fully onboard your company to Anuvi. We send them your plan information, COBRA enrollees, and ERISA documentation.
Request Anuvi after your integration is set up
If you did not sign up for Anuvi while setting up your broker integration, you can request to start using Anuvi’s COBRA administration service by emailing us at [email protected].
Gusto-brokered customers: Email us promptly at [email protected] if you do not wish to use Anuvi for COBRA administration.
If your company is subject to Federal COBRA and chooses not to use Anuvi, you’re responsible for managing all aspects of COBRA compliance.
Employee data syncing
Gusto sends employee information to Anuvi automatically on a daily basis.
How COBRA notifications and enrollment work
An enrolled employee may become ineligible for benefits if they’re dismissed or if they change from full-time eligible to part-time ineligible. Here’s when and how they’re notified to enroll in COBRA benefits:
When an employee is terminated in Gusto (or changed from benefits-eligible to benefits-ineligible), we send their information to Anuvi two days later. This delay is intentional to prevent accidental terminations.
Anuvi both emails and mails the COBRA election notice to the employee. They send them to the email and mailing addresses on file in Gusto.
If the employee elects COBRA, they enroll directly with Anuvi and pay the first month’s premium.
Anuvi submits the enrollment to the insurance carrier.
Once the employee is enrolled, they stay on the employer's monthly insurance invoice.
Anuvi collects premiums from the employee and sends them to the employer. The employer can choose to be reimbursed by check or ACH.
Renewal
Gusto handles this for you. Anuvi will then share open enrollment details with active COBRA participants.
Pending compliance tasks
If you’ve already signed the Anuvi contract and TPA Authorization form, you do not need to act on task email notifications you may receive from Anuvi. Gusto manages all pending tasks on your behalf.
Subsidizing premiums in a severance package
If you’d like to subsidize a former employee’s COBRA premiums as part of a severance package, contact Anuvi. You’ll need to let them know:
Which lines of coverage are being subsidized
The amount of the subsidy (percentage or dollar amount)
The number of months the subsidy should last
Find your question in the table below to confirm whether you should contact Anuvi or Gusto.
Topic
Gusto
Anuvi
I'd like to get my company set up with COBRA administration through Anuvi.
X
I want to cancel my company’s COBRA administration with Anuvi.
X
Questions about billing for the service ($30/month for broker integration customers).
X
I need to add more admins to my Anuvi account.
X
I have a question regarding the contract I received from Anuvi or I need to have the contract email resent.
X
I have a question regarding the remittance check/transfer I just received.
X
How can I set up automatic ACH disbursements of COBRA premiums?
X
I want to set up a COBRA subsidy for a dismissed employee.
X
I'm having trouble accessing my account in the Anuvi portal.
X
Check out Anuvi’s admin portal for a comprehensive view of all COBRA activities for your company. Click here for a video demonstrating how to get around Anuvi’s portal.
You can also email [email protected]
Find your question in the table below to confirm whether you should contact Anuvi or Gusto.
Topic
Gusto
Anuvi
I'm having trouble accessing my account in the Anuvi portal.
X
I was recently terminated from my company and have not yet received my COBRA notice.
X
X
I elected coverage through Anuvi, but it is not active with the carrier.
X
I need to cancel my COBRA coverage.
X
What would my new COBRA premium be if I added or removed a dependent?
X
My previous employer is renewing their benefits and I have not received open enrollment offerings.
X
How can I set up automatic premium payments?
X
Check out Anuvi’s participant portal for information about your COBRA benefits.
You can also email [email protected] or call (888) 519-6788