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Health insurance between contracts

Updated Nov 4, 2026Clinician review pending

Agency health plans often end when your contract ends. Plan ahead so you aren't left without coverage.

In short

  • Losing job coverage lets you buy a Marketplace plan within 60 days.[1]
  • COBRA lets you keep your old plan for a while, but you pay the full cost.[2]
  • Ask your agency for the exact date your coverage ends.
Marketplace plans

When you lose job-based coverage, you get a Special Enrollment Period. You can sign up for a plan 60 days before or 60 days after you lose coverage.[1]

Apply early so the new plan starts when the old one ends.

COBRA

COBRA lets you stay on your old employer's plan. It covers most employers with 20 or more workers.[2]

  • You have at least 60 days to choose it.[2]
  • If you choose it and pay, coverage goes back to the day the old plan ended.[2]
  • It can cost up to 102% of the plan's full price.[2]
Ask your agency

Ask when coverage starts on your next contract. Some plans start on day one. Others start later. The Trips page shows gaps between contracts.

Report a mistake on this page

Sources

  1. Special Enrollment Period — HealthCare.gov (CMS). Checked Nov 4, 2026.
  2. COBRA continuation coverage — U.S. Department of Labor. Checked Nov 4, 2026.