COBRA election deadline calculator: your 60 days, counted.

The timeline, step by step

COBRA runs on a sequence of notices, and each one starts a clock. For a termination of employment, a reduction in hours, the employee's death, Medicare entitlement or employer bankruptcy, the employer must notify the plan within 30 days after the event. Once the plan has that notice, it must give the qualified beneficiaries an election notice within 14 days. The election period then runs at least 60 days "beginning from the date the election notice is provided or the date you would otherwise lose health coverage due to the qualifying event, whichever is later," in the words of the Department of Labor's COBRA guide. Add the 30 and the 14 and the election notice can arrive up to 44 days after the event; the tool uses that outer date when you have not entered the real notice date, and labels the result as an estimate.

After you elect, the plan must give at least 45 days for the first premium. Premiums after that carry a minimum 30-day grace period each.

When you, not the employer, give notice

For divorce, legal separation or a child's loss of dependent status, the covered employee or another qualified beneficiary must notify the plan. The plan can set a time limit for that notice, but it cannot be less than 60 days from the latest of the date of the event, the date coverage would be lost, or the date you were told how to give notice. The disability extension has its own notice rule: if the Social Security Administration determines a qualified beneficiary is disabled before the 60th day of COBRA coverage, the plan can set a deadline for telling it, but not less than 60 days from the latest of the SSA determination, the qualifying event, the coverage loss, or the date you were informed of the duty. This calculator handles the employer-notified path, which is the most common one.

Worked examples with hypothetical dates

Coverage ends with the layoff. A layoff on October 31, 2026 ends coverage the same day. The election notice is provided on November 10. The later date is November 10, so the 60 days run to January 9, 2027, which is a Saturday. Neither the guide nor the sources we read mention moving a weekend deadline, so treat the Saturday as the last day.

Coverage runs past the event. The same layoff comes with severance, and coverage continues through December 31, 2026. The notice date is still November 10, but the date coverage would be lost, December 31, is later, so the 60 days run from December 31 to March 1, 2027. Starting the clock from the layoff date would cost this person nearly two months.

First payment. Someone who elects on December 15, 2026 has until at least January 29, 2027 to make the first payment: 45 days after the election date.

Waiving, revoking and the length of coverage

If you waive COBRA during the election period you must be allowed to revoke the waiver and elect, as long as you do so before the election period ends, and coverage may then begin on the date you revoked. Certain Trade Adjustment Assistance recipients get a second 60-day election opportunity, starting 60 days from the first day of the month in which they are determined eligible, and must elect no later than six months after the TAA-related loss of coverage.

The maximum coverage period is generally 18 months for termination of employment and reduction in hours, 29 months with the disability extension, and 36 months for other qualifying events or after a second qualifying event. Medicare entitlement shortens or lengthens some of those periods. Use your notice and the plan for the exact end date.

Common mistakes and what this does not cover

• Counting 60 days from the last day of work regardless of when the notice was provided.
• Counting from the date the notice was mailed or typed, not the date it was provided.
• Assuming you must pay at the moment you elect. The first payment has its own 45-day period.
• Letting the election period lapse while waiting for the premium amount, which is on the notice.
• Forgetting that an employer with fewer than 20 employees may be under a state law instead.

Plans must allow at least these periods and may allow more, so your own notice is the final word. The tool does not check whether you qualify for COBRA, calculate the premium (see the COBRA premium calculator) or advise on alternatives such as a Marketplace special enrollment period. Dates stay in your browser.

Sources

• U.S. Department of Labor EBSA: An Employee's Guide to Health Benefits Under COBRA — 30-day employer notice, 14-day election notice, 60-day election period, 45-day first payment, 30-day grace, waiver revocation, TAA second election, 18/29/36 months

Every figure and rule above was retrieved from these pages in October 2026. Agencies revise forms, codes and percentages, so confirm anything that affects a claim, a filing or a deadline against the current official page.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to elect COBRA?

The plan must give you at least 60 days to choose, beginning from the date the election notice is provided or the date you would otherwise lose coverage because of the qualifying event, whichever is later.

When does the 60 days start if my coverage continues after I leave the job?

It starts from the later of the two dates, so if coverage continues through the end of a later month, the 60 days run from the date coverage would end, provided the notice came earlier.

How long does the plan have to send the election notice?

The employer has 30 days after the event to notify the plan for terminations, reduced hours, death, Medicare entitlement and bankruptcy, and the plan must then provide the election notice within 14 days. The two periods can add up to 44 days.

When is the first COBRA payment due?

The plan cannot ask for payment at election and must give at least 45 days after you elect. If you miss the initial 45-day period, the plan can terminate your COBRA rights.

Can I change my mind after waiving COBRA?

Yes, as long as you revoke the waiver before the election period ends. In that case, continuation coverage may begin on the date you revoked the waiver.

What if I am the one who must notify the plan?

For divorce, legal separation or a child losing dependent status, you must notify the plan. The plan can set a time limit, but it cannot be less than 60 days from the latest of the event, the loss of coverage, or the date you were informed of how to give notice.

How long can COBRA last?

Up to 18 months for job loss or reduced hours, 29 months with the disability extension, and up to 36 months for other qualifying events or a second qualifying event. Medicare entitlement can change these periods.

Does the deadline move if it falls on a weekend?

The Department of Labor guide does not say it moves. Treat the calculated date as the last day, and ask the plan administrator in writing if you are close to the deadline.