COBRA vs Marketplace calculator (2026)
Two 60-day clocks, one income cliff, and what each side actually costs over the months you need cover.
Figures verified · next scheduled change (the review of whether the enhanced premium tax credits have been restored)
The figures behind this tool
| What it is | Value | Applies | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| The most a plan may charge for standard COBRA continuation coverage. | 102% of the plan's cost | long-standing | DOL — continuation of health coverage (COBRA) · verified 2026-09-06 |
| You have 60 days from the later of coverage loss or the date the election notice is provided to elect COBRA. | 60 days | long-standing | DOL — FAQs on COBRA continuation health coverage for workers · verified 2026-09-06 |
| The first COBRA premium is due within 45 days of electing coverage. | 45 days | long-standing | DOL — FAQs on COBRA continuation health coverage for workers · verified 2026-09-06 |
| Special enrollment period for loss of job-based coverage. | 60 days after (and up to 60 days before) losing job-based coverage | long-standing | HealthCare.gov — special enrollment period · verified 2026-09-06 |
| The statutory subsidy cliff applies again from 2026 after the enhanced credits lapsed. | No premium tax credit above 400% of the federal poverty level | 2026-01-01 | IRC §36B(c)(1)(A); Rev. Proc. 2025-25 / 2026-26 tables · verified 2026-09-06 |
| Applicable percentage of household income toward the benchmark Silver plan, by income as a percentage of FPL, for 2026. | 2.10% – 9.96% of household income | 2026-01-01 – 2026-12-31 | Rev. Proc. 2025-25 (issued 2025-07-18) · verified 2026-09-07 |
| The same table for 2027, under a revised premium-growth methodology. | 2.15% – 10.22% of household income | 2027-01-01 – 2027-12-31 | Rev. Proc. 2026-26 (issued 2026-07-21) · verified 2026-09-07 |
| HHS 2025 poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and DC — used for 2026 Marketplace eligibility. | $15,650 base, +$5,500 per additional person | 2025-01-15 – 2026-01-12 | Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines, 90 FR 5917 (2025-01-17), doc 2025-01377 · verified 2026-09-06 |
| HHS 2026 poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and DC — used for 2027 Marketplace eligibility. | $15,960 base, +$5,680 per additional person | 2026-01-13 | Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines, 91 FR 1797–1798 (2026-01-15), doc 2026-00755 · verified 2026-09-06 |
| Medicaid eligibility ceiling in states that expanded Medicaid. | 138% of the federal poverty level | long-standing | HealthCare.gov / CMS — lower costs · verified 2026-09-06 |
| Cost-sharing reductions are available on Silver plans at or below this income. | 250% of the federal poverty level | long-standing | HealthCare.gov — save on out-of-pocket costs · verified 2026-09-06 |
| Federal Marketplace open enrollment for 2027 coverage; December 15, 2026 is the deadline for coverage starting January 1. | November 1, 2026 – January 15, 2027 | 2026-11-01 – 2027-01-15 | HealthCare.gov — dates and deadlines · verified 2026-09-06 |
Use the guidelines in effect when open enrollment for that coverage year opened — 2026 coverage → 2025 guidelines (open enrollment opened 2025-11-01); 2027 coverage → 2026 guidelines (opens 2026-11-01). The live cobravsmarketplace engine hard-codes only the 2025 table — correct today, wrong from 2026-11-01. The Medicaid-expansion status of each state comes from KFF — Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions, as of 2026-08-21, checked 2026-09-06.
What this does not do
- It does not quote a plan. Premiums depend on your county, the ages of everyone covered and the insurers who filed there; window-shop at HealthCare.gov or your state exchange for a real figure.
- It does not apply age rating. Two households on the same income can face very different premiums.
- It does not check Medicaid eligibility, which your state agency decides on rules beyond income.
- It does not model state continuation ("mini-COBRA"), which can cover employers below the federal size threshold on different terms.
- It does not reconcile your credit. The advance credit is trued up against your actual income on Form 8962 when you file.
06In this section
What each side actually is
The same plan you had, for up to 18 months after most job losses, at the whole premium — the employer’s share and yours — plus an administration charge, up to 102% of the plan's cost.
It keeps your network, the deductible you have already met and any authorisation in progress. That continuity is what you are buying, and for someone mid-treatment it can be worth more than the price difference.
A new plan bought on HealthCare.gov or your state exchange, priced on your county and the ages covered, and reduced by a premium tax credit if your income falls between the poverty line and 400% of it.
Everything resets: network, deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, prior authorisations. Below 250% of the federal poverty level a Silver plan also carries cost-sharing reductions, which no other metal level offers.
The one number that decides it is your income as a percentage of the federal poverty line for the coverage year — an estimate you make, not a figure from last year’s tax return. Get it wrong upward and you repay part of the credit; get it wrong downward and you leave credit unclaimed until you file. How the credit is reconciled.
Questions
Is COBRA or a Marketplace plan cheaper?
It depends on one number: your household income as a percentage of the federal poverty line. COBRA costs the full group premium plus an administration charge — up to 102% of the plan's cost — with no employer contribution and no subsidy. A Marketplace plan can be far cheaper if a premium tax credit applies, and roughly the same or dearer if it does not. No premium tax credit above 400% of the federal poverty level, so the answer flips at a single income.
How long do I have to decide?
Two clocks start the day job-based coverage ends. The Marketplace special enrollment period is 60 days after (and up to 60 days before) losing job-based coverage. COBRA gives you 60 days from the later of losing coverage or being given the election notice, and 45 days after electing to pay. Both are counted in calendar days.
Can I take COBRA now and switch to a Marketplace plan later?
Only at the right moment. Voluntarily dropping COBRA is not a qualifying life event — so dropping COBRA in March does not open a special enrollment period. Running out of COBRA does, and so does open enrollment, which for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 – January 15, 2027.
What is the subsidy cliff, and does it still apply?
No premium tax credit above 400% of the federal poverty level: a dollar of income over that line removes the entire premium tax credit, not a proportion of it. As of 2026-01-01, Expired — not extended (no law enacted as of September 6, 2026). The 2027 applicable-percentage table published by the IRS still stops at 400%, which is the clearest available confirmation that the cliff is in force for that year too.
Why does the calculator ask for my state?
Two reasons. It sets which poverty guidelines apply — Alaska and Hawaii have their own — and whether Medicaid was expanded. At the same income a household in an expansion state may be eligible for Medicaid and therefore not for a premium tax credit, while a household in a non-expansion state may be eligible for the credit and for cost-sharing reductions. The expansion status comes from KFF, as of 2026-08-21.
Sources
- Rev. Proc. 2025-25 (issued 2025-07-18) · accessed 2026-09-07
- Rev. Proc. 2026-26 (issued 2026-07-21) · accessed 2026-09-07
- Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines, 90 FR 5917 (2025-01-17), doc 2025-01377 · accessed 2026-09-06
- Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines, 91 FR 1797–1798 (2026-01-15), doc 2026-00755 · accessed 2026-09-06
- DOL — FAQs on COBRA continuation health coverage for workers · accessed 2026-09-06
- HealthCare.gov — special enrollment period · accessed 2026-09-06
- KFF — Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions (as of 2026-08-21) · accessed 2026-09-06
Also this year
Social Security earnings testthe same income drives a second cliff→The 2026 numbersevery threshold on one page→Money calendaropen enrollment and the review dates→Information, not advice. Confirm eligibility and get a real quote at HealthCare.gov or your state exchange.