COBRA vs ACA Marketplace Cost Calculator (2026)

After job loss, COBRA lets you keep your employer health plan for up to 18 months — but you pay the full premium (employer share + your share + 2% admin). Family COBRA premiums commonly run $1,800-$2,500/month in 2026. ACA marketplace subsidies (extended through 2026 under the IRA) often cut premiums by 60-90% for households whose income dropped post-job-loss.

Run The Marketplace Subsidy Estimator First

Healthcare.gov has a free estimator that returns your premium tax credit in 2 minutes. Under the IRA-extended ACA subsidies through 2026, silver-plan premiums are capped at 0-8.5% of household income depending on income tier. A family of 4 at $60,000 household income often pays under $300/month for silver-tier coverage — versus $2,000+ for the same family on COBRA. The job-loss event itself is a Special Enrollment Period, so you can enroll outside open enrollment.

When COBRA Still Wins

Three scenarios favor COBRA. (1) You already met your deductible for the calendar year — restarting at zero on a new plan is expensive. (2) Continuing major medical treatment with specific providers who are in your employer network but not the marketplace network. (3) Brief gap — if you'll have new coverage in 30-60 days, COBRA's continuity may beat the hassle of switching plans twice. Otherwise, the ACA marketplace almost always wins on cost. Tip: you have 60 days from coverage loss to elect COBRA, and election is retroactive — so you can shop the marketplace, take a non-COBRA approach, and elect COBRA only if you need to claim a major event in the 60-day window.

Last updated May 2026. Sources: DOL COBRA Continuation, Healthcare.gov.