Health Coverage After Job Loss

Losing Coverage With a Job: Your 60-Day Window

Three paths, very different prices

• COBRA keeps your exact plan, but you pay the full premium your employer was subsidizing, often $600 to $2,000 a month.
• Marketplace coverage with subsidies is usually far cheaper, and a drop in income often means a bigger credit than you expect.
• A spouse's plan, if available, opens for you as a life event too.

The clock that matters

Losing job-based coverage starts a 60-day special enrollment window. Miss it, and outside open enrollment your options narrow sharply. Start comparing before your last day if you can.

The mistake to avoid

Going uncovered "for a month or two" while job hunting is the most expensive gamble in insurance. One urgent care visit is affordable; one emergency room admission is not. There is nearly always a bridge option that costs less than the risk.