Skip to content
CareerCanopy
Menu

A COBRA versus ACA decision tool, for the week the bill arrives.

COBRA versus ACA is the decision people put off because the inputs are confusing and the stakes are high. The decision tool puts both options side by side using your specific numbers — household size, expected income, current providers, current prescriptions — and shows you what the trade-off actually is. The tool does not pick for you. It surfaces the comparison clearly and explains what each line means in plain language. Premium, deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, network coverage, prescription coverage, and the special enrollment timeline. You see both options on one screen, with the differences highlighted, and you can run sensitivity on the inputs you are not sure about. This is health insurance, not financial advice. The tool helps you see the comparison; the decision is yours, and for complex situations a licensed broker or counsellor is the right next step.

How it works

Three steps, start to finish.

  1. 01

    You enter the inputs

    Household size, expected income for the year, current providers and prescriptions you want covered, and the COBRA premium quoted on your separation paperwork. About ten minutes.

  2. 02

    The tool builds the side-by-side

    COBRA on the left, comparable ACA marketplace plans on the right. Premium after subsidy, deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, network match, prescription coverage. The differences are highlighted so you can see them without reading both columns line by line.

  3. 03

    You run sensitivity on the uncertain inputs

    Income for this year is the input most people are least sure about, and it changes ACA subsidies meaningfully. The tool lets you adjust the income estimate and see what happens to both options. Same for adding or removing providers from the must-keep list.

What makes it different

Why this is not the generic version.

  • Side-by-side, not a recommendation. The tool's job is to make the comparison legible, not to pick. Picking requires more context than the tool can have.
  • Plain-language definitions inline. Premium, deductible, OOP max, network — every term is defined where it appears, so you do not have to keep a glossary tab open.
  • Sensitivity built in. The income estimate is the variable people are least sure about, and the tool treats it that way. You can see what happens at different income levels without rebuilding the comparison.

Product visual

Both options on one screen, differences highlighted.

Questions

Common questions

Is the tool a substitute for an insurance broker?

No. The tool helps you see the comparison clearly and run sensitivity on the inputs you are uncertain about. For complex situations — ongoing treatment, a partner with separate coverage, or a state with an unusual marketplace — a licensed broker or healthcare navigator is the right next step. The tool is meant to clarify the question, not replace the professional who can help you finalise the answer.

Why is income the input that matters most?

Because ACA subsidies are calculated against your expected income for the year, and a wrong estimate changes the comparison meaningfully. People in the first weeks of a layoff often guess high — they have not yet absorbed that this year's income will look different from last year's. The tool encourages a realistic estimate and lets you run sensitivity so you see both ends of the range.

What if I have ongoing treatment or a specific provider I need to keep?

Enter the providers and prescriptions in the must-keep list. The tool will check network match for ACA plans and flag mismatches before you make a decision. COBRA continues your existing network, which is sometimes the deciding factor on its own. If the must-keep list is long or the conditions are complex, an insurance broker can verify network and formulary status more thoroughly than any tool can.

Does the tool handle special enrollment periods and deadlines?

Yes — losing employer coverage triggers a special enrollment period for the ACA marketplace, typically sixty days. The tool surfaces the deadline and reminds you that COBRA also has a sixty-day election window from the loss-of-coverage date. The dates are surfaced as part of the decision so you do not miss either window while you are weighing the two options.

Read next

$79 · One time

Your plan is built around what you tell us — not a template.

Start with a few questions. The plan follows.

Start your plan

Less than one session with a career coach.