COBRA Cost Calculator
Last updated July 2, 2026
Last reviewed July 8, 2026
The sticker shock of COBRA comes from the same math that made your employer health insurance feel affordable in the first place. When you were employed, your employer was typically covering 70 to 80 percent of your monthly premium — you saw only the slice deducted from your paycheck. COBRA makes you responsible for the entire premium plus a 2 percent administrative fee. What was a $200 monthly payroll deduction becomes a $700 to $1,400 monthly bill for exactly the same coverage. The average individual COBRA premium runs $600 to $800 per month in 2026; family coverage commonly exceeds $1,500 to $2,000 monthly.
The upside of COBRA is continuity — same doctors, same network, same deductible progress if you've already met part of it for the year. That last point matters more than it seems. If you're mid-year and have already paid $2,000 toward a $4,000 deductible, COBRA preserves that credit. A new Marketplace plan resets it to zero. However, for most people who haven't hit their deductible, the ACA Marketplace is substantially cheaper, especially since job loss qualifies as a Special Enrollment Period and many people qualify for premium subsidies based on their reduced income. You have 60 days from losing coverage to elect COBRA, and that window runs concurrently with the Marketplace Special Enrollment Period — giving you time to compare both before committing to either.
COBRA is almost never the cheapest option, but it isn't always the wrong one. If you have ongoing medical care in progress, specialized providers that need to remain accessible, or significant deductible progress to protect, it may be worth the premium. For everyone else, the Marketplace Special Enrollment Period — and the income-based subsidies that come with it — is usually the smarter call.