HealthCoverageCalc publishes a free COBRA vs. ACA Marketplace estimator at cobravsaca.com. The site is for people who recently lost job-based health insurance — or who are about to — and need a first-pass comparison of continuing the group plan under COBRA versus buying a plan on HealthCare.gov or a state Marketplace, including a 2026 premium tax credit estimate.
We built the tool because the two options are priced in completely different ways. COBRA is usually the full employer-plan premium plus a 2% administrative fee, with no discount for a drop in income. Marketplace coverage can be subsidized, but only inside MAGI bands that changed again for 2026 after enhanced credits expired on December 31, 2025. A spreadsheet that still uses 2024–2025 “enhanced” percentages will overstate savings. A conversation that ignores doctor networks and HSA deductibles will understate the case for COBRA. The calculator is meant to put income, household size, and the COBRA notice on the same screen, then send you to HealthCare.gov for a real ZIP-level quote.
This is not an insurance company, a broker agency, or a law firm. We do not sell policies, we do not take applications, and we do not open accounts. All math runs in your browser from the numbers you type. There is no login. We do not need your Social Security number, date of birth, or home address to produce an estimate. Publisher identity and a mailing address are below so you know who operates the site.
The people we have in mind are straightforward: someone who was laid off or whose hours dropped, a spouse who is trying to decide whether to join the other spouse’s job-based plan or shop the Marketplace, a parent aging off an employer plan, or anyone staring at a COBRA election notice and a 60-day clock. If you are shopping Medicare, short-term limited duration coverage, or a large-group renewal as an HR manager, this estimator is the wrong product.
Estimates use 2026 HHS poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states, IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-25 applicable percentages, a 2% COBRA administrative load in the optional COBRA estimator, the Affordable Care Act’s three-child rating cap, and a national-average illustration of second-lowest-cost silver premiums by age. They are not quotes. Read methodology for the formulas and the limitations (no ZIP, no tobacco load, no state-specific wrap credits).
Some outbound links to eHealth, HealthCare.gov, and HealthMarkets are affiliate links. That does not change the calculator. HealthCare.gov remains the official federal Marketplace. You can use this site and enroll nowhere, or enroll only on HealthCare.gov.
HealthCoverageCalc
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