Health
COBRA and the marketplace after a job ends
Losing a job can open two doors at once: keep the old employer plan for a while, or buy a marketplace plan. They are priced differently.
COBRA is a federal rule that lets many workers keep the employer health plan for a limited time after the job ends. You usually pay the full premium, including the share the employer used to pay, plus a small administrative fee. The coverage is the same network and the same deductible progress you already had. The bill is often a shock because the paycheck deduction was only part of the cost.
The marketplace uses a different clock
Loss of job-based coverage is a special enrollment period for the marketplace. You do not have to wait for November. A marketplace plan can come with a premium tax credit if your estimated income and household size qualify, and if the employer offer is no longer in the picture. The network, deductible, and drug list start over. A doctor who was in the employer plan may not be in the marketplace plan.
A short way to choose
If you are mid-treatment and the deductible is already met, COBRA can be the less disruptive bridge even when the premium is high. If income has dropped and you can use a tax credit, a marketplace plan can cost less per month and still cover essential health benefits. You can compare the COBRA notice, which lists the full premium, with a marketplace application that uses your new income. Those two documents answer more than a rule of thumb.
COBRA deadlines are strict, and marketplace special enrollment has its own window. Read the dates on the notices you were sent. This page is not a determination of eligibility.