COBRA Election Deadline Calculator
60-day election window, first premium due date, and monthly grace period after coverage loss.
These calculators are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice.
How the COBRA Election Deadline Calculator works
The COBRA Election Deadline Calculator finds the single date that matters most after a group health plan ends: the last day you can elect to continue coverage. Federal law gives a qualified beneficiary 60 days to elect COBRA, but that window does not necessarily start on the day coverage ends — it starts on whichever comes later, the date coverage is lost or the date the plan administrator actually mails the election notice.
Enter both dates and the calculator takes the later of the two as day zero, then adds the 60-day election window required by ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. It also projects the 45-day deadline for the first premium payment once you elect, and flags the 30-day grace period that applies to every payment after that — three separate clocks that are easy to conflate but are each independently enforced.
Employers cannot shorten these periods, and missing the 60-day election deadline generally ends the right to elect COBRA outright — there is no equitable extension for "I forgot" or "I meant to." The days are calendar days, including weekends and holidays.
Worked example
Coverage ends June 30 but the plan administrator does not mail the election notice until July 10 — a common delay. The clock starts from the later date, July 10, not June 30, so the 60-day election deadline lands on September 8. Electing on September 1 then starts a separate 45-day clock for the first premium, due by October 16.
Frequently asked questions
Does the 60-day clock start when my coverage ends or when I get the notice?
Whichever is later. If your employer is slow to send the required election notice, that delay pushes your deadline back — the 60 days runs from the later of the two dates, not from the day coverage technically ended.
What happens if I elect COBRA on day 59?
You are still timely — the election just needs to be made (postmarked, for mailed elections) within the 60-day window. But electing late in the window compresses your time to arrange the first premium payment, which is due within 45 days of the election, not 45 days of the original coverage-loss date.
Is this legal advice?
No — this is general information based on the federal COBRA statute (29 U.S.C. § 1162) and common plan practice. Some states run a parallel "mini-COBRA" with different windows for small employers, and specific plans can vary. Confirm your exact deadline with your plan administrator or a benefits attorney before treating it as final.