ACA special enrollment opens 60 days from the life event: coverage loss, marriage, birth, move, and job changes. The 30-day change notice protects subsidies, and Medicaid jumps when income drops (see the marketplace base in the marketplace guide).
The Windows
- 60-day enrollment: file from the event date; employer coverage end, COBRA election, and marketplace plans are the comparison lines (see the COBRA guide).
- 30-day change notice: income shifts, marriage, moves, and new jobs update the subsidy within 30 days; the reconciliation is in the reconciliation guide.
- Medicaid jumps: mid-year income drops can switch the plan type; family lines follow the state rules (see the enrollment guide).
The year-end lines are in the records guide, the cash plan in the 30-day plan, and the family accounts in the accounts guide. State lines follow the work location in the remote termination guide.
Put the rule into action
Write the letter with the free COBRA Election Notice Letter generator. The state pages carry the local payout and notice windows, and the application tracker keeps the follow-up date in writing.
Put the rule into action
Which events open the 60-day window
Special enrollment opens 60 days from a qualifying life event, and a job exit is the most common one. The events that open the window: losing employer coverage, marriage, a birth or placement, moving to a new area, and a death in the family.
Losing employer coverage is the event that matters in a separation, and the clock runs from the coverage end date, not from your last working day. That distinction is where people lose the year: the end date can be the last day of the month after you leave, or an earlier date if the plan is pay-in-advance.
Ask for the coverage end date in writing the same week you give notice. The special enrollment entry explains the window, and the Form 1095-C entry explains what the employer's form actually proves about your coverage months.
The 30-day change notice, and Medicaid
Once you have a marketplace plan with a subsidy, income changes have their own clock: report income shifts, marriage, moves and new jobs within 30 days, because the subsidy is computed from projected income and an unreported change can produce a repayment at filing time.
An income drop can also switch which program covers you: Medicaid eligibility responds to mid-year income, and switching mid-year changes both cost and network. Two numbers drive the decision: your projected annual income, and the premium for the plan type you qualify for. Re-run both whenever your income assumption changes, and keep the confirmation of the reported change.
Comparing the two routes inside the same window
A separation usually offers two coverage routes with the same 60-day shape:
- COBRA: keeps the employer plan at up to 102% of the group premium, up to 18 months, with the family terms intact.
- Marketplace: a subsidized premium priced from projected income, a different network, and a deductible that may be lower or higher than your employer plan.
Compare both totals for the same months before electing; the subsidy is the reason a marketplace plan frequently wins after a pay cut, and COBRA wins when the employer plan is unusually good or when a medical year has already been met. Run both in the COBRA cost calculator, and read COBRA versus the marketplace. Ask for the group premium with the allowance line shown separately so the comparison is honest.
Scripts and wording
"Please confirm in writing the date my group coverage ends, the COBRA premium quoted with the group rate and the 2% administration allowance shown separately, and the election deadline. I am comparing COBRA against a marketplace plan and need the end date to run both."
Send it early. Every comparison, election and special-enrollment deadline in a separation is measured from the coverage end date, so that single document decides the rest of the year.
Special enrollment windows
| Event | Window | What to file |
|---|
| Coverage loss | 60 days from the coverage end date | Marketplace application |
|---|
| Income change | 30-day change notice | Subsidy update |
|---|
| Marriage, birth, move | 60 days from the event | New enrollment or update |
|---|
| Income drops sharply | Medicaid may apply | State Medicaid application |
|---|
The live rule text sits on the California COBRA rule page and the New York COBRA rule page, along with the COBRA definition and the equity tax trails guide hub. Confirm there before you put a date or a dollar amount in writing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- How long do I have to enroll after losing job coverage?
- 60 days from the coverage end date, not from your last working day. Marriage, a birth or placement, a move, and a death in the family open the same window from the event date. Confirm the coverage end date in writing. See the special enrollment entry.
- Do I have to report income changes to the marketplace?
- Yes, within 30 days for income shifts, marriage, moves and new jobs. The subsidy is computed from projected income, and a stale projection can produce a repayment when you file. Re-run the subsidy whenever your income assumption changes.
- Is COBRA or a marketplace plan cheaper after a layoff?
- Often the marketplace, because the subsidy follows projected income while COBRA charges up to 102% of the group premium. Compare both totals for the same months in the COBRA cost calculator inside the 60-day window, and read the comparison guide.
- What does Form 1095-C prove?
- Which months employer coverage was offered and whether it met the affordability and minimum-value lines, which matters for subsidy questions and for any premium tax credit reconciliation. It does not prove the date coverage ended. See the 1095-C entry and the year-end paperwork guide.
Affordability codes, subsidy months, and the reconciliation math follow federal rules, and the plan-size line that routes you to state continuation is a state rule graded in this build from reported sources. Confirm the continuation length with the state agency named on the state rule pages, keep the 1095-C from every employer in the year because missing months create the reconciliation, and put the premium comparison through the COBRA cost calculator.