COBRA vs ACA Marketplace Calculator
Same plan at a higher price, or a new plan with a subsidy
COBRA vs ACA Marketplace Calculator
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Total COBRA cost
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same plan, same doctors, no subsidy available
Total ACA marketplace cost, after subsidy
0
may mean new doctors/network
Total savings choosing ACA
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COBRA's real cost: you now pay the employer's share too
COBRA lets you keep your exact employer plan, but you now pay both your previous share AND the portion your employer used to cover (often plus a 2% admin fee) — a much higher bill for coverage that felt "free-ish" while employed.
The ACA subsidy cliff is back for 2026
Enhanced pandemic-era subsidies expired at the end of 2025 — income above 400% of the Federal Poverty Line now means zero premium tax credit, a hard cliff rather than the gradual phase-out that applied for a few years. Estimate your subsidy carefully if your income is anywhere near that line.
Network continuity has real value too
If you're mid-treatment with a specialist or your COBRA plan's provider network isn't available on ACA marketplace plans in your area, the cheaper option on paper may not be the better one in practice — check network overlap before deciding purely on premium.
COBRA premiums have no subsidy available (aside from a rare employer-paid severance arrangement) and typically include a 2% administrative fee not modeled here. ACA marketplace premium tax credits depend on your household's estimated annual MAGI relative to the Federal Poverty Line for your household size — the subsidy figure here should come from an actual healthcare.gov estimate for your situation, not a guess. Deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket maximums can differ significantly between your COBRA plan and available marketplace plans, and aren't captured in this premium-only comparison. Not insurance advice.