Free tool
COBRA, or the Marketplace?
Sixty days. Both clocks run at once.
Run both numbers for your state and household. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Take the Insurance Check ↓The short answer
Is COBRA or a Marketplace plan cheaper after a layoff?
It depends on your income for the rest of the year. COBRA costs the full group premium plus a 2% fee, with no subsidy; a Marketplace plan can come with a premium tax credit based on your projected 2026 income, which in 2026 stops above 400% of the federal poverty level. If your income this month is close to zero, check Medicaid first.
Updated
A note before you begin
Most people pick COBRA because it's the form in front of them. That's not the same as it being cheaper.
It arrives in the packet, it keeps the doctor you already have, and electing it takes one signature. The Marketplace requires you to go looking. That asymmetry — not the math — is why people overpay for coverage after a layoff.
What this is not is a quote. Real plans are priced by county, and your actual options depend on what is sold where you live. Treat the result as the number that tells you which conversation to have, then verify before you enroll. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Tool
Insurance Check
COBRA or the Marketplace: what coverage actually costs. About three minutes.
What you'll get
Both numbers, side by side.
- What COBRA costs you a month, and what it costs for the rest of the year.
- The Marketplace benchmark plan, your premium tax credit, and what you would actually pay after it.
- Whether your state tops the federal subsidy up — six of them do, and one makes you whole.
- Whether you should be checking Medicaid first, which after a layoff is more often than people expect.
- The deadlines and the traps, dated from the day your coverage ends.
Where these numbers come from
No lead form. That's the whole point.
Most "COBRA vs. Marketplace calculator" pages are lead-capture forms wearing a calculator costume — you put in your details, and a call centre buys them. In August 2025 the FTC settled for $145 million with two companies running exactly that play. PinkSlipped is not an insurance agency, broker or producer. The calculator captures nothing, transmits nothing, and never sells or brokers your contact details.
The math is the current published federal rules for plan year 2026 — the applicable percentage table from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-25, the 2025 HHS poverty guidelines, the CMS federal default age curve under 45 CFR 147.102, and COBRA at 102% of the total group premium per DOL guidance. Enhanced premium tax credits expired on December 31, 2025 and have not been restored, so the hard 400% subsidy cliff is back. Benchmark and bronze premiums are KFF's 2026 state tables. Employer premium shares are the KFF 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey. Medicaid expansion status and adult eligibility limits are KFF's.
What this is not: a quote. Real plans are priced by county, and your actual options depend on what is sold where you live. Treat this as the number that tells you which conversation to have — then verify before you enroll.
Questions people ask
Common questions
Is COBRA worth it after a layoff?
It can be, for what it keeps: your doctors, your network and the deductible you've already paid down this year. It tends to earn its price if you're mid-treatment, close to your out-of-pocket maximum, or over the subsidy limit. Otherwise, compare it with a Marketplace plan before you elect it.
How long do I have to choose COBRA or a Marketplace plan?
Generally 60 days for each, and the clocks run at the same time. You have at least 60 days to elect COBRA, and losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day special enrollment period for the Marketplace. Write both dates down the day your coverage ends.
Can I switch from COBRA to a Marketplace plan later?
Not whenever you like. Dropping COBRA midyear doesn't by itself open a Marketplace enrollment window. Your chances are the 60 days after you lose job-based coverage, open enrollment, or another qualifying event — including your COBRA coverage running out.
Should I check Medicaid after a layoff?
Yes, especially the month right after. Medicaid looks at your current monthly income rather than the year's total, so a layoff can qualify you now even if this year's earnings were high. Limits vary by state.