Cobra Election Deadline Calculator
Compare the later-of 60-day planning point with the exact plan notice, then track election and the first-premium checkpoint. Inputs stay in your browser.
DOL describes at least 60 days from the later of coverage loss or the election notice being furnished / mailed. The plan's complete election notice and exact deadline should be used when available. Review note: Confirm federal COBRA coverage and qualified-beneficiary status.
Context matters.
- Each qualified beneficiary can have an independent election right; confirm who is covered and the exact election method.
- DOL says the first payment is generally due within 45 days after election, but later premiums and plan procedures have separate dates.
- State continuation, Marketplace special enrollment, Medicare coordination and other coverage options can follow different clocks.
Sources & scope
The calculation guide and this source trail show what the result means, where the rule came from and when it was last reviewed. This is source-and-calculation QA, not a claim of medical, legal, tax or other professional review; time-sensitive decisions still belong with the linked authority.
A visible path from input to answer.
Compare the later-of 60-day planning point with the exact plan notice, then track election and the first-premium checkpoint. The page keeps the calculation scope and its limits beside the result so the output can be checked, copied or revisited.
- Read the record. The calculator uses Date job-based coverage ends, COBRA election notice furnished / mailed date, Planning date, Federal COBRA applicability and Printed election deadline and 7 additional fields supplied in the form.
- Apply the scope. It applies the United States federal COBRA election planning — exact plan notice, qualified-beneficiary status, later-of anchor and first-payment record control reference and the explicit date, unit and counting conventions shown in the result.
- Expose the checkpoints. Intermediate rows, warnings and timeline events stay visible; the emphasized row identifies the primary checkpoint when one exists.
DOL describes at least 60 days from the later of coverage loss or the election notice being furnished / mailed. The plan's complete election notice and exact deadline should be used when available. Review note: Confirm federal COBRA coverage and qualified-beneficiary status.
- Coverage and payment outcomePlan administrator and actual timely election / payment control
Calculation purpose: Compare the later-of 60-day planning point with the exact plan notice, then track election and the first-premium checkpoint. This is a high-sensitivity reference output; the linked authority or qualified professional controls the final decision.
Calendar inputs use plain year-month-day semantics. Leap days, month ends, date-pair order and unsupported dates are checked before the result is shown.
Rule set 1.1.0 · Last reviewed 2026-08-20 · Next review due 2027-02-20. The source panel below contains the linked evidence.
What to know before using the result.
Which date starts the federal COBRA election period?
DOL describes the later of the date job-based coverage ends or the election notice is furnished or mailed. The complete plan notice should supply the exact deadline and method.
When is the first COBRA premium due?
DOL says the first payment is generally due within 45 days after election. Later monthly premiums have separate timing rules.
Does federal COBRA cover every employer plan?
No. Employer size, plan type, qualifying event and qualified-beneficiary status matter, and state continuation rules may provide a separate path.