What COBRA really costs after the employer subsidy disappears, against a subsidized plan.
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Professional Financial Tools
8/25/2026
Your payroll deduction while employed. This is the number people anchor on — and it is usually a small fraction of the real premium.
Shown on your W-2 in Box 12 code DD (divided by 12), or ask HR for the total premium. Under COBRA you pay this too.
The qualifying event sets how long COBRA can run.
An SSA disability determination within the first 60 days extends COBRA to 29 months — but the administrative load rises to 50% for months 19-29.
Your income for the WHOLE calendar year, including what you already earned. Losing a job mid-year often drops annual MAGI enough to qualify for a large marketplace credit.
Second-lowest-cost Silver plan in your county, from healthcare.gov.
The full group premium of $1,000 (your $200 plus your employer's $800) plus the 2% administrative load the statute allows. This is 5.0x what was coming out of your paycheque — the employer subsidy disappearing is the whole shock. This is an estimate for planning, not an insurance quote. Actual pricing is set by the insurer or, in promulgated-rate states, by the state regulator.
Benchmark $700/mo less a premium tax credit of $545/mo at 192% of the federal poverty level.
The marketplace saves $865/month here. That is the usual result once income drops, because COBRA's price ignores your income entirely while the marketplace credit is calculated from it.
Job loss and reduced hours give 18 months. COBRA applies only to employers with 20+ employees, though many states have "mini-COBRA" laws covering smaller ones.
You have 60 days from the later of the coverage-loss date or the election notice. Coverage is retroactive to the loss date if you elect, so you can wait, shop the marketplace, and only take COBRA if you actually incur claims. But note the trap: voluntarily dropping COBRA later does NOT create a marketplace special enrollment period — only exhausting it does. Losing your job opens a 60-day marketplace window; use it before it closes.