COBRA lets you keep your former employer's health plan after a job loss, but you pay the whole premium yourself. Using KFF's 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey (published October 22, 2026), the average 2026 COBRA bill works out to about $833.34 a month for one person and $2,405.76 a month for a family. Those two numbers are the 102% maximum that federal law allows, applied to what employers and workers paid together in 2026. They are national averages, so your plan's own rate can land higher or lower.
Below is the 102% math, a side-by-side against a benchmark marketplace plan for 2026 coverage, and what changes for 2027 coverage. For how the program works, read what COBRA is and how much it costs; for the time limits, see how long COBRA lasts. Adults under 65 who lose job-based coverage often find a subsidized marketplace plan costs far less, so price both before the 60-day election window closes.
Coverage Breakdown
Direct answer: what COBRA costs per month in 2026
It depends on your plan, but the 2026 national average is about $833 a month for single coverage and $2,406 a month for family coverage. Those figures take KFF's 2026 average employer premiums ($9,804 single, $28,303 family, per year), add the 2% COBRA fee (102% total), and divide by 12. Your own bill is your plan's actual rate plus up to 2%. A benchmark marketplace plan averages $625 a month before any 2026 tax credit.
The 102% math: COBRA cost per month in 2026
COBRA premiums follow a simple rule from the U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov): a plan may charge up to 102% of the cost of the coverage, which is the full premium that you and your employer paid together plus a 2% administrative fee. KFF's 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey puts the 2026 average annual premium at $9,804 for single coverage and $28,303 for family coverage. Multiply by 1.02 and divide by 12 and you get the 2026 monthly figures in the table below.
Firm size moves the result a little. In 2026 KFF measured single premiums of $9,593 at firms with 10 to 199 workers and $9,865 at firms with 200 or more, and family premiums of $27,288 and $28,592. Most of the gap people feel is not the premium itself but who used to pay it: KFF's 2026 average worker contribution was $1,672 a year for single coverage ($139.33 a month) and $7,471 for family coverage ($622.58 a month), so COBRA multiplies the old paycheck deduction several times over.
When COBRA costs more than 102% (2026 rules)
The 102% ceiling has one exception. The U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov) says a plan may charge up to 150% of the premium for the extra 11 months (months 19 through 29) when a disabled beneficiary gets the Social Security disability extension. On the 2026 averages that is about $1,225.50 a month for single coverage and $3,537.88 for family coverage, so the disability extension is the costliest stretch of COBRA. Some employers also charge less than the maximum, for example when they subsidize part of COBRA as part of a severance deal, so read the notice before assuming the average applies.
Payment timing matters as much as price. In 2026 you generally have 60 days from the later of your coverage ending or the date the election notice is provided to elect COBRA, then 45 days after electing to make the first payment (dol.gov). Coverage is retroactive to the day your job coverage ended, so you can wait to see whether you need care before paying, but once you have elected you owe premiums back to that date.
COBRA versus a marketplace plan: the 2026 coverage side-by-side
KFF's 2026 national average benchmark silver premium (the second-lowest-cost silver plan) is $625 a month for a 40-year-old, or $7,500 a year, which is already $208.34 a month below the $833.34 average single COBRA bill before any credit. Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period at HealthCare.gov (healthcare.gov), and the premium tax credit then caps what a benchmark plan costs you as a share of income. The table below applies the 2026 required contributions to one 40-year-old, using the 2025 poverty guidelines that govern 2026 coverage.
Income for the credit is your expected household income for the whole calendar year, which includes wages earned before the layoff, severance and unemployment benefits. Being offered COBRA does not by itself block the credit, but enrolling in COBRA does for those months. From tax year 2026 there is no repayment cap: if your advance credit turns out larger than the credit you qualify for, you repay the full difference on Form 8962 at any income (irs.gov), so estimate your year carefully.
What changes for 2027 coverage and 2027 COBRA rates
No national COBRA or employer premium average for 2027 exists yet: KFF's survey measures 2026 premiums, and each plan sets its own 2027 COBRA rate when its coverage year renews. Treat the 2026 averages above as the best available benchmark, and expect your plan's renewal notice to move the number. On the marketplace side, HealthCare.gov (healthcare.gov) opens plans for 2027 coverage on November 1, 2026, and KFF reports that insurers proposed a median increase of about 15% for 2027, a figure from preliminary filings rather than final prices. A national 2027 benchmark premium has not been published as of October 30, 2026.
The tax credit formula also shifts for 2027 coverage. Credits are measured against the 2026 poverty guidelines ($15,960 for one person, so 400% FPL is $63,840), and the 2027 required contribution runs from 2.15% to 10.22% of income, up from 2.10% to 9.96% in 2026 (IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-26). At 250% FPL ($39,900 for one person, 2027 coverage) the required contribution is 8.66%. Starting with 2027 coverage the credit is also limited to citizens, green card holders, Cuban and Haitian entrants and citizens of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau; refugees, asylees and TPS holders can still buy a plan at full price.
Eligibility: who can elect COBRA and what shapes the bill
Federal COBRA covers group health plans of employers with 20 or more employees in the prior year (dol.gov). Qualifying events include job loss for any reason other than gross misconduct and a cut in hours, which give up to 18 months, plus divorce, the employee's death, Medicare entitlement and a child aging off a parent's plan, which can give up to 36 months. The premium tier you picked (employee only, employee plus spouse, family) and the plan's actual 2026 rate set your bill, not the national averages in this page.
Medicare changes the math for anyone close to 65 or on disability. Medicare.gov says COBRA is not considered group health plan coverage, so keeping COBRA does not extend your Part B Special Enrollment Period, and missing it can bring a late enrollment penalty and a gap in coverage. The 2026 standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month. Medicare Advantage and Medigap require both Part A and Part B, Part D requires Part A or Part B, and Medicare entitlement can end COBRA early, so Original Medicare timing should be checked before you rely on COBRA as a bridge.
How to find your actual COBRA price and compare it
Your COBRA election notice lists the monthly premium for each coverage tier, so start there rather than with an average. If the notice has not arrived, ask your former employer's benefits office or the plan administrator, who must provide it. Then price a marketplace plan at HealthCare.gov (healthcare.gov): window-shop with your expected income for the year, check whether your doctors and prescriptions are in the plan's network and formulary, and compare the total yearly cost, not only the premium. A plan with a lower premium can still cost more if you have already paid toward this year's deductible on your COBRA plan.
Alternatives if COBRA costs too much
Four alternatives replace or reduce a full COBRA bill in 2026. Marketplace plans are ACA-compliant: they cannot turn you down or charge more for a preexisting condition, and they cover essential health benefits. The options below each have their own deadlines, so check them while your 60-day windows are still open.
- Marketplace plan with a premium tax credit: losing job coverage opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period at healthcare.gov, and a credit can cut a benchmark plan to $81.97 to $519.58 a month for one 40-year-old at 150% to 400% FPL in 2026.
- Medicaid or CHIP: income-based coverage with no enrollment window, at medicaid.gov and your state agency. Expansion adults 19 to 64 may need to show work or similar activity to get and keep Medicaid, starting as early as January 2027 depending on your state.
- A spouse's or partner's employer plan: losing job coverage also opens a special enrollment right under that plan; federal rules require the plan to allow at least 30 days to request enrollment (some plans allow more), so ask the other employer's benefits office for its deadline.
- A new employer's plan: some employers make coverage start on day one and others after a waiting period of up to 90 days, so COBRA can bridge a short gap and then be dropped.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does COBRA cost per month for one person in 2026?
About $833 a month on the 2026 national average. KFF's 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey puts the average single-coverage premium at $9,804 a year ($817 a month), and COBRA may charge up to 102% of that, or $833.34 a month. Your own bill is your plan's actual rate plus up to 2%, and it shows on your election notice.
How much does COBRA cost per month for a family in 2026?
About $2,406 a month on the 2026 national average. KFF reports an average family premium of $28,303 a year in 2026 ($2,358.58 a month), and 102% of that is $2,405.76 a month, or $28,869 a year. Family COBRA at a firm with 10 to 199 workers averages $2,319.48 a month, and $2,430.32 at firms with 200 or more.
Why is COBRA so much more than what I paid from my paycheck?
Your employer stops paying its share. In KFF's 2026 survey the average worker paid $1,672 a year for single coverage ($139.33 a month) and $7,471 for family coverage ($622.58 a month), and employers paid the rest. COBRA charges you both shares plus up to 2%, which is why the bill feels several times higher for the same plan.
Is COBRA cheaper than a marketplace plan?
Usually not, but it depends on income and your doctors. KFF's 2026 average benchmark silver premium is $625 a month for a 40-year-old before credits, against $833.34 for average single COBRA. At 250% FPL ($39,125 for one person, 2026 coverage), the credit brings the benchmark plan to about $275.18 a month. Above 400% FPL there is no 2026 credit.
Can COBRA cost more than 102% of the premium?
Yes, in one case. The U.S. Department of Labor says a plan may charge up to 150% of the premium for months 19 through 29 when a disabled beneficiary receives the disability extension. On 2026 averages that is about $1,225.50 a month for single coverage and $3,537.88 for family coverage. Otherwise the ceiling is 102% of the plan's cost.
How much will COBRA cost in 2027?
No national 2027 COBRA average exists yet. KFF's survey measures 2026 premiums, and each plan sets its own 2027 COBRA rate at renewal. Use the 2026 averages ($833.34 single, $2,405.76 family) as a guide and expect your notice to differ. For marketplace plans, KFF reports a median proposed 2027 increase of about 15% from preliminary filings, not final prices.
Can I elect COBRA and pay only for the months I need?
In practice, yes within limits. You have 60 days to elect and 45 days after electing to pay the first premium, and coverage is retroactive to the day your job coverage ended. Once you elect, you owe premiums from that date until you stop. Dropping COBRA voluntarily does not open a marketplace Special Enrollment Period, so plan the switch before you end it.
What if I miss the 60-day window to enroll in a marketplace plan?
You would generally wait for open enrollment. Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period, but HealthCare.gov says voluntarily dropping COBRA does not qualify. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage begins November 1, 2026, so check healthcare.gov for the current deadline, and ask whether Medicaid or CHIP is open year-round for your income.
