COBRA Health Insurance: What It Is and How It Works

What Is COBRA?

By Jeremy Bowman – Updated Sep 11, 2025 at 2:44 AM

Key Points

COBRA lets you keep job-based health insurance after leaving work, but you pay full premiums.
You can use COBRA for up to 18 months, and possibly longer if certain conditions are met.
Consider alternative insurance like spouse's plan, Medicare, or a marketplace plan, which may be cheaper.

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Person pays at medical office with debit card. — Image source: Getty Images.

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About the Author

Jeremy Bowman has been a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst, covering technology, consumer goods, and macroeconomic trends since 2011. Before The Motley Fool, Jeremy was a newspaper reporter, restaurant manager, and English teacher abroad. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Colorado College and a master’s degree in business administration from American University. One of his Motley Fool headlines was briefly featured on Late Night with Stephen Colbert.

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