Losing Your Job Coverage? COBRA Is Not the Only Choice
When health coverage from work ends, COBRA lets you keep the plan you had. It is one option, not the only one. Losing job coverage also opens a Special Enrollment Period for Marketplace plans, and private plans enroll any month. We lay all three side by side so you can choose before the window closes.
The date matters more than people expect
About 60 days to choose
Losing other coverage, including a job plan or COBRA ending, is a qualifying life event. You generally have about 60 days from the event to enroll in a Marketplace plan, so tell us the date it happened.
When a private plan can start
For most private plans on this site, applications submitted by the 23rd of the month start on the 1st of the next month; some carriers allow mid-month starts. We confirm the exact effective date before you sign, and never backdate.
Three ways to stay covered
None is automatically better. It depends on your health, your budget, and whether you qualify for savings.
COBRA
What it does: keeps the plan you had at work, so your doctors, network and benefits stay the same.
What it does not: it does not compare itself to anything else. Your COBRA notice states the monthly cost: put that number next to the two options beside this one.
ACA Marketplace Plans
What it does: losing job coverage opens a Special Enrollment Period. If your household income qualifies, the government gives a monthly tax credit that lowers the premium, and pre-existing conditions are covered with no underwriting.
What it does not: without a subsidy it is usually the most expensive option with some of the most limited networks, and the Special Enrollment window does not stay open.
Private Major Medical
What it does: private plans can be more affordable for healthy people and are available year-round. The finder shows real rates and walks you through enrollment.
What it does not: it is not a subsidy-based Marketplace plan. Private plans ask health questions, some have coverage limits, and "limited medical" plans are not the same as major medical. The finder labels which is which.
A quick way to tell
Choose the Marketplace when
your income qualifies for a large subsidy, or a health condition means a private plan will not accept you. Have a health condition? Tell us first: depending on the condition, a private plan may still be an option.
Look at private plans when
you are generally healthy and get no subsidy or only a small one, you want to enroll and start quickly, or a Marketplace plan without subsidies is out of reach.
The honest answer: many households compare both and pick the one that fits this year, then re-check at renewal. That comparison is exactly what we do on the call, with your COBRA price on the table too.
What sits alongside your medical plan
Supplemental & Accident
What it does: pays cash benefits for accidents, hospital stays, or major health events so you have money when a medical bill hits.
What it does not: it is not a substitute for full major medical coverage.
Dental & Vision
What it does: helps with routine dental care like cleanings, exams, and basic care, plus eye exams, frames, and lenses.
What it does not: it does not act as medical insurance or pay for hospital stays.
Not sure which one to pick before the deadline?
Tell us the date your job coverage ends and a little about your household, and a licensed advisor lays COBRA, Marketplace and private options side by side. There's no separate advisory fee for standard guidance.
*Plans, benefits, rates, and provider networks can change at any time. Speaking with your agent is necessary to verify the most up-to-date information before making any decision.