How long do I have to decide?

Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period on HealthCare.gov or your state marketplace, starting the day coverage ends. You also have 60 days to elect COBRA, and COBRA is retroactive, so you can wait to see if you need care. Just don't miss the marketplace window.

Your estimated household modified adjusted gross income for the whole calendar year, including wages before the layoff, severance and unemployment benefits. A mid-year layoff often means much lower annual income than your salary suggests, which raises the credit.

What changed in 2026?

The enhanced subsidies expired at the end of 2025. The credit again stops at 400% of the federal poverty level, the share of income you're expected to pay rose, and from 2026 any excess advance credit must be repaid in full when you file. Update your income estimate if you start a new job.

Why is my COBRA premium so high?

COBRA lets you keep the same plan, but you pay the full premium your employer used to subsidize, plus a 2% administrative fee. It can still win if you've met your deductible this year, are mid-treatment, or your doctors aren't in marketplace networks.

Free calculator · 2026 & 2027 rules

COBRA or a Marketplace plan?

Compare what keeping your work plan costs against a Marketplace plan after the premium tax credit, including Medicaid and the 400% income cliff. No account, nothing stored.

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Estimates only. Without your own quote we price the benchmark from the $625/month national 2026 average for a 40-year-old (KFF) on the federal age curve, and COBRA from KFF's 2025 employer premium averages plus 2%. Your county's prices can differ a lot - always confirm on HealthCare.gov or your state marketplace.

Coverage questions

How long do I have to decide?: Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period on HealthCare.gov or your state marketplace, starting the day coverage ends. You also have 60 days to elect COBRA, and COBRA is retroactive, so you can wait to see if you need care. Just don't miss the marketplace window.
Which income counts?: Your estimated household modified adjusted gross income for the whole calendar year, including wages before the layoff, severance and unemployment benefits. A mid-year layoff often means much lower annual income than your salary suggests, which raises the credit.
What changed in 2026?: The enhanced subsidies expired at the end of 2025. The credit again stops at 400% of the federal poverty level, the share of income you're expected to pay rose, and from 2026 any excess advance credit must be repaid in full when you file. Update your income estimate if you start a new job.
Why is my COBRA premium so high?: COBRA lets you keep the same plan, but you pay the full premium your employer used to subsidize, plus a 2% administrative fee. It can still win if you've met your deductible this year, are mid-treatment, or your doctors aren't in marketplace networks.

COBRA or a Marketplace plan?

Coverage questions

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