That COBRA election notice quotes you 102% of the full premium — no subsidy, no help. But losing job coverage also opens a 60-day window to buy a Marketplace plan, where most households qualify for a premium tax credit. Run both numbers before either window closes, because one wrong default can cost you thousands.
Free comparison of every plan filed in your county against your actual COBRA quote. No pressure, no obligation.
Estimates only. This tool estimates your maximum subsidized cost for the benchmark silver plan using the 2025 federal poverty guidelines and the 2026 premium tax credit percentage table; actual Marketplace premiums vary by county, age, and plan, and may be lower or higher than the benchmark cap shown. Results are not a determination of eligibility or pricing. COBRA rights and deadlines are governed by federal law and your plan administrator's notices. Smooth Health Solutions is not affiliated with or endorsed by HealthCare.gov, CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Department of Labor.
COBRA feels safe: same plan, same doctors, nothing to research. But it means paying 102% of the true premium — the share your employer used to cover, plus an admin fee — with no subsidy ever. Meanwhile, losing job coverage opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period on the Marketplace, where premium tax credits can cut a comparable plan's price dramatically for households between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level.
The trap is timing: once your 60-day window closes, dropping COBRA voluntarily doesn't reopen it. You're locked in until COBRA exhausts, open enrollment, or another life event. Compare both sides now, while you still have the choice.
Your employer was quietly paying most of the premium. COBRA keeps the plan but hands you the entire bill plus 2% — which is how a $150-per-paycheck plan becomes $700+ a month.
Only at open enrollment, when COBRA runs out entirely, or with a new qualifying event. Voluntarily dropping COBRA mid-year does not open a Special Enrollment Period — this is the single most expensive mistake in this decision.
Real cases exist: you've already met your deductible or out-of-pocket max this year; you're mid-treatment with providers not in Marketplace networks; a specific drug is covered exactly as-is; or you're over 400% of poverty and the COBRA plan is genuinely richer than what's filed in your county. Price both — don't guess.
At least 60 days from your COBRA election notice (retroactive if you elect and pay), and 60 days from the coverage loss for the Marketplace SEP. The windows overlap by design — use the overlap to compare, not to procrastinate.
Yes — subsidies run on your full-year expected income, including severance, unemployment benefits, and wages from a new job later in the year. A low-income stretch right now doesn't automatically mean a big subsidy; estimate the whole year honestly to avoid repaying credits at tax time.
Confirm your window with the special enrollment checker, estimate your credit with the subsidy calculator, or read your state's 2026 cost guide: