Blog / Health and ACA

Can I get health insurance if I lost my job or lost coverage?

Yes, and losing coverage opens a 60 day window. Here is how Marketplace coverage usually compares with COBRA.

Updated August 17, 2026 · 2 min read

Yes. Losing job based coverage is a qualifying life event, which opens a special enrollment period. You do not have to wait for open enrollment.

The 60 day window

You generally have 60 days from the date coverage ends to enroll in a Marketplace plan. You can also apply up to 60 days before a known loss of coverage, which is the better approach when you have notice.

COBRA versus the Marketplace

COBRA lets you keep your employer plan, usually for up to 18 months. It is the same coverage and the same network, which is its main appeal.

The cost is the problem. You pay the entire premium, both your share and what your employer was paying, plus an administrative fee. For most people that is a large monthly number.

• COBRA: same plan, same doctors, same deductible progress, full price with no subsidy
• Marketplace: different plan and possibly different network, but usually subsidized based on your now lower income

Because subsidies are based on your expected income for the year, a job loss often means a much larger credit than you would have qualified for while working. For a lot of people the Marketplace is dramatically cheaper.

The COBRA trap

If you elect COBRA and later want to switch to a Marketplace plan, you generally cannot do it mid year just because COBRA is expensive. You would wait for open enrollment or for COBRA to be exhausted.

So compare before electing COBRA, not after. You have an election window, and there are lookback rules, but the clean move is to run both numbers first.

Other qualifying losses

• Your hours were reduced below the eligibility threshold
• You aged off a parent's plan at 26
• You lost coverage through a divorce or the death of a spouse
• You lost Medicaid or CHIP eligibility
• A student plan ended

Voluntarily dropping coverage or being terminated for not paying premiums does not qualify. See special enrollment periods.

What to do this week

1. Find the exact date your coverage ends. That starts the clock.
2. Estimate your income for the rest of the year, including severance and unemployment, since both count.
3. Run Marketplace plans at HealthCare.gov with that estimate.
4. Compare against the COBRA quote your employer provides.
5. Check whether your doctors are in network on the Marketplace options.
6. Enroll before the old coverage ends if possible, so there is no gap.

If you are close to 65, this decision interacts with Medicare and the rules are different. Do not treat COBRA as a bridge to Medicare, because it does not protect you from the Part B penalty. See the rules around 65.