Five doors, one 60-day clock, and the order in which to check them.
Losing job-based coverage is a qualifying life event. It opens a special enrollment period of roughly 60 days on the Marketplace, and it starts a COBRA election window at the same time.
There are five realistic options, and they should be checked in a specific order — because the cheapest one is often the one people skip.
Checkmarks mark the advantages of each option; open circles mark its trade-offs. Both columns list both.
Not last year's income — this year's. Marketplace subsidies and Medicaid eligibility both look at current household income, and a mid-year job loss changes that number dramatically. This is why checking the Marketplace first costs you nothing and occasionally saves thousands.
Your loss of coverage usually lets you join a spouse's or parent's plan outside their open enrollment — but that window is often 30 days, tighter than the Marketplace's 60. Ask their HR department this week, not next month.
Many employer plans run through the end of the month of separation, not your last day. Knowing the real end date determines whether you need a bridge at all, and both clocks run from it.
A scheduled surgery, a pregnancy, ongoing treatment, or a large deductible already satisfied all push toward COBRA regardless of price. Say so early — it changes the recommendation immediately.
A defined six-week gap is a different problem from an open-ended one. Bridging a known gap and choosing an ongoing plan call for different products.
anyone whose income dropped with the job, anyone with a household member who has coverage, and anyone mid-treatment.
healthy applicants who do not qualify for a subsidy, need coverage now, and are looking at a COBRA premium several times their old payroll deduction.
Check Medicaid, a household member's plan, and a subsidized Marketplace plan first — in that order. If none of them land, compare COBRA against an underwritten private PPO on price, network, and whether anything clinical is already in motion. An advisor should walk that whole list with you, not just the last item.
General information only, not insurance, tax, or legal advice. Plan rules, availability and pricing vary by state, carrier and applicant. Verify Marketplace, Medicaid and COBRA details with the relevant official source before making a decision.
Four questions. One call. If the alternative on this page is your better option, that is what you will be told.
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