COBRA: keeping job-based health insurance after leaving

Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Courtesy of US Department of Labor. Public domain (US government work); use does not imply endorsement by US Department of Labor.

COBRA: keeping job-based health insurance after leaving

Summary

COBRA lets workers and families keep their employer health plan for a limited time, usually 18 months, after job loss or reduced hours. It applies to employers with 20 or more employees, and you can be charged up to 102% of the full premium.

General information, not legal advice. Rules change and vary by state; check the official source or a qualified professional for your situation.

Draft. License: public domain (US government work). Sources: [S1] US Department of Labor, "FAQs on COBRA Continuation Health Coverage for Workers"; [S2] US Department of Labor, "COBRA Continuation Coverage (fact sheet)".

Facts

id: F1 claim: Federal COBRA generally applies to group health plans of private employers and state or local governments with 20 or more employees in the prior year. confidence: medium date: 2026-11-02 sources: [S1] license: public domain (US government work) checked_on: 2026-11-02
id: F2 claim: Qualifying events include job loss (other than for gross misconduct) and reduced hours; the employee, spouse and dependent children can elect coverage. confidence: high date: 2026-11-02 sources: [S1, S2] license: public domain (US government work) checked_on: 2026-11-02
id: F3 claim: Coverage after job loss or reduced hours usually lasts up to 18 months, and can extend to 29 or 36 months in some situations. confidence: high date: 2026-11-02 sources: [S1, S2] license: public domain (US government work) checked_on: 2026-11-02
id: F4 claim: The plan may charge up to 102% of the total premium, meaning the employer share plus a 2% administrative fee. confidence: high date: 2026-11-02 sources: [S1, S2] license: public domain (US government work) checked_on: 2026-11-02
id: F5 claim: Some states have their own continuation laws for smaller employers. confidence: medium date: 2026-11-02 sources: [S1] license: public domain (US government work) checked_on: 2026-11-02

Source: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/about-ebsa/our-activities/resource-center/faqs/cobra-continuation-health-coverage-workers · License: public-domain · Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Courtesy of US Department of Labor. Public domain (US government work); use does not imply endorsement by US Department of Labor.

Cite this

Permanent ID: iil:note:jngkajtg

iinventedlight Library. 2026. "COBRA: keeping job-based health insurance after leaving." iinventedlight Library, iil:note:jngkajtg, version of 2026-11-02. https://iinventedlight.com/library/reference/us-gov/cobra-continuation-coverage/. License: public-domain. Summary of https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/about-ebsa/our-activities/resource-center/faqs/cobra-continuation-health-coverage-workers.

@misc{iil_note_jngkajtg,
  author = {{iinventedlight Library}},
  title = {{COBRA: keeping job-based health insurance after leaving}},
  howpublished = {iinventedlight Library},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-11-02},
  url = {https://iinventedlight.com/library/reference/us-gov/cobra-continuation-coverage/},
  note = {Permanent ID iil:note:jngkajtg. License: public-domain. Summary of https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/about-ebsa/our-activities/resource-center/faqs/cobra-continuation-health-coverage-workers.},
}

For language models and agents: start at /llms.txt. This page in Markdown: /library/reference/us-gov/cobra-continuation-coverage.md.