Arizona COBRA vs Marketplace Cost Calculator

It depends on your income, your premiums and how much of your deductible you have already met. COBRA is usually full price, while a HealthCare.gov plan may come with a premium tax credit. This calculator compares the totals for the rest of the year.

Losing job-based coverage gives you a 60-day Special Enrollment Period. If you choose COBRA and then drop it voluntarily outside Open Enrollment, that alone does not give you a new Special Enrollment Period.

You generally have 60 days from your election notice or the date coverage ends, whichever is later, and coverage is retroactive once you pay.

Because you now pay the whole premium, including the part your employer used to pay, and the plan may add a small administrative fee. The coverage is the same plan you had at work. A Marketplace plan may cost less if your income qualifies for a premium tax credit, which COBRA does not get.

No. A new Marketplace plan starts your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum at zero, while COBRA keeps whatever you have already met this year. That is why this calculator looks at the months left in the year, not just the monthly premium. Late in the year, a deductible you have nearly met can tip the balance.

Yes. Being offered COBRA does not stop you; enrolling in it does, because you cannot get a premium tax credit for months you are on COBRA. That is why the choice matters at the start, while the 60-day Special Enrollment Period from losing job-based coverage is open.

Then keeping your doctors may matter more than the price. COBRA keeps your current plan and network, while a Marketplace plan may use different doctors and hospitals. Before you switch, check that your doctors, hospital and prescriptions are covered by the new plan. We can check networks with you.

Not without risk. COBRA is not coverage from current work, so it does not let you delay Part B without a penalty. When you become eligible for Medicare, sign up during your enrollment window, then talk with us about how COBRA and Medicare fit together for a spouse or family still on the plan.

It can. The premium tax credit is based on your expected household income for the whole year, so a lower total can mean a larger credit. Enter your best estimate for the full year, including any severance or unemployment pay, and update HealthCare.gov if it changes.