COBRA Cost Calculator 2026
Estimate what continuing your employer health plan under COBRA would cost. Plans may charge up to 102% of the full premium, so this starts from Box 12 code DD on your W-2 — the total cost of your coverage — and shows the monthly premium and the full-period total.
Works offline — your inputs never leave this device. How that works
- W-2 Box 12 code DD $24,000 ÷ 12 = $2,000 full monthly premium
- × 102% (the most a plan may charge) = $2,040/month
Your election period cannot end before 60 days after the later of the date coverage would be lost or the date the COBRA notice is provided. Marketplace coverage is a separate option with its own enrollment window.
Verified 2026-07-31 against 26 CFR 54.4980B-8 (COBRA premiums), with 54.4980B-6 (election period) and 54.4980B-7 (duration) (effective 2026-01-01)
Estimate only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Only EBSA can determine your actual amounts.
Official source: U.S. Department of Labor — COBRA continuation coverage ↗
🎓 Understand this tool
What it is
An estimator for the cost of continuing your employer health plan after leaving a job. It converts the annual coverage cost reported on your W-2 into the monthly premium a plan may charge under COBRA, and totals it across the coverage period.
How it works
Federal regulations at 26 CFR 54.4980B-8 let a plan charge up to 102% of the applicable premium — the full cost of the coverage including the employer share, plus a 2% administrative charge. Box 12 code DD on the W-2 reports that full annual cost, so dividing it by twelve and applying the 102% cap approximates the monthly COBRA figure closely.
Getting the most from it
- Find Box 12, code DD on your most recent W-2, or ask HR for the full monthly premium.
- Choose which figure you have and enter it.
- Set the number of months to price — commonly up to 18 after a termination.
- Add your last day of coverage to date the 60-day election window and export it.
Reading your result
The monthly figure is usually a shock because employers typically pay most of the premium during employment. Read it beside the marketplace alternative and any spousal plan: losing job-based coverage opens a special enrollment period, and those options price differently.
What it can't tell you
This is an estimate from the reported cost of coverage, not a quote. Actual COBRA premiums come from the plan administrator, may change at the plan year, and differ for disability extensions where up to 150% of the premium may be charged. Dental, vision, and health FSA continuation are priced separately.
Frequently asked questions
A plan may charge up to 102% of the applicable premium — the full cost of coverage including the employer share, plus a 2% administrative charge. Because employers usually pay most of the premium during employment, the COBRA figure is often several times the payroll deduction you were used to seeing.
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