Estimate your monthly COBRA health insurance premium after a job loss, including the standard 2% administration fee.
Written & fact-checked by the CoverFormula editorial team · Last reviewed 2026-07-15
COBRA (the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) lets you keep your employer's group health plan after leaving your job — but you pay the full premium yourself: the portion your employer used to cover, plus your own payroll deduction, plus a standard 2% administration fee.
Most employees only see their own payroll deduction and never realize how much their employer was contributing until they lose that subsidy. This calculator adds both amounts together, applies the admin fee, and projects the total cost over your expected coverage window so you can compare it against marketplace (ACA) plans or a spouse's employer plan.
Monthly COBRA Premium = (Employee Payroll Deduction + Employer Contribution) × (1 + Admin Fee %)Typically up to 18 months after a qualifying event like job loss or reduced hours, though certain circumstances (disability, divorce, death of the covered employee) can extend it to 29 or 36 months.
Not usually — because COBRA requires you to pay 100% of the premium plus a 2% fee, marketplace plans with income-based subsidies are frequently cheaper for the same coverage tier. Always compare both before deciding.
Yes. Losing job-based coverage triggers a Special Enrollment Period for ACA marketplace plans, so you are not required to elect COBRA.