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COBRA Cost and Date Calculator

Enter your plan cost and the day your job coverage ends. See your COBRA premium, every deadline, and when your coverage runs out.

Why are you losing coverage?

Last day of your job-based coverage

Date of the COBRA election notice (optional)

Total plan cost (your share plus your employer's) ($)Not sure? Look on your W-2, box 12, code DD.

That amount is per

Optional: what you paid per month from your paycheck ($)

COBRA Deadlines at a Glance

Step	Deadline
Employer tells the plan about a job loss, cut in hours, death or Medicare entitlement	30 days after the event
You tell the plan about a divorce, legal separation or a child aging out	Usually 60 days (check your plan)
Plan sends you the election notice	14 days after it learns of the event
You elect COBRA	At least 60 days from the notice or the coverage loss, whichever is later
First premium payment	45 days after you elect
Later monthly payments	Due dates set by the plan, with a 30-day grace period
Marketplace plan instead	Within 60 days before or after losing job coverage

How Long COBRA Lasts

Reason	Who can keep coverage	Maximum
Job ends (not for gross misconduct) or hours are cut	Employee, spouse, children	18 months
Disability extension	Everyone on the plan, if one person is disabled	29 months
Divorce, legal separation, employee's death, employee gets Medicare	Spouse and children	36 months
Child is no longer a dependent	That child	36 months

COBRA applies to employers with 20 or more employees. Many states have mini-COBRA laws for smaller employers, so check with your state insurance department.

Ways to Cut the Cost

Check the Marketplace. If your income dropped, you may get tax credits. See where you stand with our federal poverty level calculator.
Join a spouse's plan. Losing coverage lets you join within 30 days.
Drop people who have other coverage. Each person on the plan can choose COBRA on their own.
Use the retroactive window. You have 60 days to elect, and coverage reaches back to the day it ended. Keep the deadlines on your calendar.

Need help with a bill you got while between plans? Use our patient responsibility calculator.

Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, An Employee's Guide to Health Benefits Under COBRA (September 2022); HealthCare.gov special enrollment rules; IRS Form W-2 instructions (box 12, code DD). General information, not legal advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the COBRA premium calculated?

The plan can charge up to 102% of its full cost for the coverage: what you paid, plus what your employer paid, plus 2% for administration. If your employer paid most of the premium, COBRA can cost several times what came out of your paycheck.

How long does COBRA last?

18 months if you left your job or your hours were cut. 29 months if someone covered is disabled and Social Security decided it within the first 60 days of COBRA. 36 months for a spouse or children after divorce, the employee's death or Medicare entitlement, or a child aging out.

How long do I have to elect COBRA?

At least 60 days, counted from the later of the date you get the election notice or the date your coverage ends. Your first payment is due 45 days after you elect, and later payments have a 30-day grace period.

Is COBRA coverage retroactive?

Yes. If you elect within the 60 days and pay on time, coverage goes back to the day your job coverage ended. Providers may hold claims until your payment is made.

Should I choose COBRA or a Marketplace plan?

Compare both. COBRA keeps your doctors and your deductible progress, but you pay the full cost. A Marketplace plan may be cheaper with tax credits. You must pick a Marketplace plan within 60 days before or after losing job coverage. Dropping COBRA early does not open a new sign-up window outside open enrollment.

Where can I find the total cost of my health plan?

Your W-2 box 12, code DD, shows the yearly cost of your job-based health coverage, including both your share and your employer's. Divide it by 12 for a monthly figure. Your benefits office or COBRA notice will give the exact COBRA rate.

Hassan Raza Awan, Founder of LegitMedBilling & IT Solutions

Written by Hassan Raza Awan

Founder — LegitMedBilling & IT Solutions

Hassan has 4+ years of hands-on U.S. medical billing experience — working claims, denials, credentialing, and payer follow-up for practices across the United States. Every guide he publishes is written from real remittances and payer behavior, not theory.

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