Put COBRA costs and dates in one place

If the employer share is unknown, request it or use the full premium from your COBRA notice. Do not enter zero as a substitute for missing information.

Calculations stay in this page. Inputs are not submitted or saved by these tools. Keep a printed copy if you need it later.

The arithmetic

(Your contribution + employer contribution) × pay periods per year ÷ 12 × (1 + fee percentage). For example, $200 + $600 per month with a 2% fee = $816 per month. This example is arithmetic, not a carrier quote.

Employer subsidies can reduce what you owe. Disability extensions and state continuation may use other rules. This calculator covers a standard 0–2% fee only.

Calculations stay in this page. Inputs are not submitted or saved by these tools. Keep a printed copy if you need it later.

Separate clocks, separate decisions

Federal COBRA generally gives you at least 60 days from the later of coverage loss or the election notice to elect. The initial payment period is at least 45 days after election. Confirm the specific instructions in your notice and do not wait until the last day.

A typical Marketplace loss-of-coverage window is 60 days before and after the loss. Taking COBRA does not reset that original window. Outside open enrollment, voluntarily dropping COBRA early generally is not a qualifying event. Exhaustion, loss of an employer contribution or another qualifying event may allow a change.

Example: coverage ends October 31 and notice is provided November 10, 2026. The 60-day COBRA reference is January 9, 2027; the Marketplace after-loss reference is December 30, 2026. A November 20 election gives a 45-day initial-payment reference of January 4, 2027.

Collect before you decide