Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Marketplace saves you (negative = COBRA wins)
$2,080
COBRA total for the period
$10,240
Marketplace total for the period
$8,160
Marketplace premium after subsidy
$280
Expected out-of-pocket on COBRA
$1,600
Expected out-of-pocket on marketplace
$4,800
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How to use this
- 1Enter cobra monthly premium (with 2% fee) ($).
- 2Enter deductible remaining on current plan ($).
- 3Enter cobra out-of-pocket max remaining ($).
- 4Enter marketplace premium before subsidy ($/month).
- 5Enter estimated monthly premium tax credit ($).
- 6Enter marketplace deductible ($).
- 7Enter marketplace out-of-pocket max ($).
- 8Enter expected medical spending this year ($).
- 9Enter months of coverage needed (months).
- 10Read your marketplace saves you (negative = cobra wins) on the right — it updates as you type.
- 11Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Losing job-based coverage forces a decision within 60 days, and the sticker prices mislead. COBRA looks brutal because you now pay the entire premium your employer was largely covering plus a 2% administrative charge, but it keeps your network, your deductible progress for the plan year, and your existing prior authorisations. A marketplace plan usually looks cheaper, and with a premium tax credit it often is, but it restarts your deductible and may exclude the specialists you are mid-treatment with. This calculator totals expected annual cost for both — premium plus expected out-of-pocket given the care you anticipate, with the marketplace subsidy applied against household income — and shows the break-even level of medical spending where the more expensive premium becomes the cheaper total. Losing coverage is a qualifying life event, so the special enrolment window is real but short; run this before the clock runs out.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- COBRA monthly premium (with 2% fee): 720 $
- Deductible remaining on current plan: 500 $
- COBRA out-of-pocket max remaining: 4000 $
- Marketplace premium before subsidy: 520 $/month
- Estimated monthly premium tax credit: 240 $
- Marketplace deductible: 4500 $
- Marketplace out-of-pocket max: 8500 $
- Expected medical spending this year: 6000 $
- Months of coverage needed: 12 months
Results
- Marketplace saves you (negative = COBRA wins): $2,080
- COBRA total for the period: $10,240
- Marketplace total for the period: $8,160
- Marketplace premium after subsidy: $280
- Expected out-of-pocket on COBRA: $1,600
- Expected out-of-pocket on marketplace: $4,800
What each field means
Inputs
- COBRA monthly premium (with 2% fee) ($)
- The cobra monthly premium (with 2% fee) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 720 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–5000 $.
- Deductible remaining on current plan ($)
- The deductible remaining on current plan used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 500 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–20000 $.
- COBRA out-of-pocket max remaining ($)
- The cobra out-of-pocket max remaining used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 4000 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–30000 $.
- Marketplace premium before subsidy ($/month)
- The marketplace premium before subsidy used in the calculation, measured in $/month. Starts at 520 $/month so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–5000 $/month.
- Estimated monthly premium tax credit ($)
- The estimated monthly premium tax credit used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 240 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–3000 $.
- Marketplace deductible ($)
- The marketplace deductible used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 4500 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–20000 $.
- Marketplace out-of-pocket max ($)
- The marketplace out-of-pocket max used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 8500 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–30000 $.
- Expected medical spending this year ($)
- The expected medical spending this year used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 6000 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–200000 $.
- Months of coverage needed (months)
- The months of coverage needed used in the calculation, measured in months. Starts at 12 months so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–18 months.
Results
- Marketplace saves you (negative = COBRA wins)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- COBRA total for the period
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Marketplace total for the period
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Marketplace premium after subsidy
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Expected out-of-pocket on COBRA
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Expected out-of-pocket on marketplace
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Can I take COBRA now and switch later?
Voluntarily dropping COBRA mid-year is generally not a qualifying event for a special enrolment period, so you may be stuck until open enrolment. Exhausting the full COBRA period does qualify. Decide deliberately.
Does COBRA keep my deductible progress?
Yes — it is the same plan, so amounts already applied to your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum for the plan year carry over. That is often the deciding factor mid-treatment.
How is the subsidy calculated?
Premium tax credits are based on household income relative to the federal poverty level and the cost of the benchmark silver plan in your area. Use the marketplace estimator for your exact figure and enter it here.
What if I'm offered COBRA and a spouse's plan?
Loss of coverage also opens a special enrolment window on a spouse's employer plan, which is frequently the cheapest option of the three. Price all three before the 30-60 day window closes.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). COBRA vs Marketplace Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cobra-vs-marketplace-cost-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cobra-vs-marketplace-cost-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COBRA vs Marketplace Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [COBRA vs Marketplace Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cobra-vs-marketplace-cost-calculator) (2026).