Get Hired · Coverage deadlines
You have two 60-day windows.
They start at about the same time. Most people only think about one of them.
Evidence reviewed October 2, 2026.
When does your job coverage end?
It may not be your last day at work. Your termination paperwork or HR will say.
This is on your COBRA election notice. It is the full cost of the plan, not what came out of your paycheck.
Your old payroll deduction, for comparison.
Why COBRA costs so much more
Your employer was paying most of your premium. COBRA keeps the same plan but moves the whole bill to you, plus up to a 2% administration fee.
Department of Labor: “Your premium cannot exceed 102 percent of the plan’s total cost of providing you with coverage.”
Before you decide
A Marketplace plan is priced against the income you have now. If your income just dropped, the subsidy can go up, which can bring the price well below what COBRA costs. You can see real prices without applying.
COBRA's window can run longer than 60 days from your coverage end. The Department of Labor says you have at least 60 days, counted from the later of the date your plan sends the election notice or the date you would lose coverage. Your notice shows your exact date; the date above is the earliest it can be.
When a Marketplace plan starts. HealthCare.gov says plans take effect the first day of the month after your job-based insurance ends, and gives this example: lose coverage March 7, select a plan by March 31, and coverage can start April 1. If your coverage has already ended, the start date above assumes you pick a plan today. Picking later moves it later.
This page does not estimate your subsidy. That calculation depends on figures the government updates every year, and a stale number here could cost you real money. HealthCare.gov shows your actual prices.
Sources: Department of Labor, A Worker’s Guide to Health Benefits Under COBRA and HealthCare.gov. Checked October 2, 2026.