An educational estimate — not advice.

Not professional advice

The information and estimates on this site are provided for general educational purposes only. They are not insurance, tax, legal, financial, or medical advice, are not a substitute for advice from a qualified professional, and don't create any advisory relationship. Coverage decisions after a job loss have real financial and health consequences — before you act, confirm your situation with a licensed broker, a benefits administrator, an attorney, or the official marketplace.

Estimates, not quotes or determinations

The calculator produces an estimate, not a quote, an eligibility determination, or a guarantee of any deadline, premium, or credit. In particular:

• COBRA day-counts. The tool uses the common federal rules — roughly a 60-day election window (counted from the later of coverage loss or the election notice) and roughly a 45-day first-payment window — as a guide. Your exact dates are printed on your own COBRA election notice, which controls.
• The wait-and-see comparison. Because COBRA is retroactive, deferring can save money if you stay healthy — but you would owe every back-premium at once on electing, providers may require cash during the uncovered gap, carriers cap how far back they reprocess claims, and the option vanishes when the election window closes. The model shows the trade-off; it is not a recommendation to skip coverage.
• The marketplace figures. Marketplace costs are a rough estimate from 2026 subsidy math following the lapse of the enhanced premium tax credits on January 1, 2026 — not a live plan quote. Actual premiums and subsidies vary by income, household, age, and rating area; your real number from HealthCare.gov or your state exchange will differ.
• Special Enrollment Period rules. Involuntary loss of job-based coverage generally opens a 60-day marketplace SEP; voluntarily dropping COBRA mid-term generally does not, while exhausting the full COBRA term does. These rules can change — verify current SEP rules before relying on them.
• Smaller employers. Federal COBRA applies to employers with 20 or more employees; below that, state "mini-COBRA" rules apply and vary by state. The tool flags this rather than modeling every state.

Time-sensitive and subject to change

COBRA day-counts, SEP windows, and marketplace subsidy figures update and the law can change. This tool reflects the common federal rules and the 2026 subsidy context as of its last update; the 2026 marketplace math assumes the enhanced premium tax credits lapsed January 1, 2026, and that context can shift if Congress restores them. Deadlines are unforgiving — confirm the exact dates on your election notice.

Verify before you rely on it

For your official deadlines, read your COBRA election notice. For marketplace costs and to enroll, use HealthCare.gov or your state marketplace, and see U.S. Department of Labor COBRA guidance. We do our best to keep figures accurate and to cite primary sources, but we make no warranty of accuracy or completeness and accept no liability for decisions made based on this site. See our terms of use.

No affiliation

cobradeadline.com is an independent tool operated by Red Goggles LLC. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Department of Labor, CMS, HealthCare.gov, any state marketplace, any health plan, insurer, or employer.

Last updated: June 8, 2026