COBRA Alternatives in Oregon (2026)

Your options after leaving a job in Oregon

When you leave a job in Oregon, your choices usually come down to COBRA, state continuation, a Marketplace plan or the Oregon Health Plan. Federal COBRA applies to larger employers and lets you keep the same plan, but you pay the full premium yourself.

If your employer is too small for COBRA, Oregon law gives you up to 9 months of state continuation, at no more than the group rate. Spouses 55 and older can also have separate continuation rights after a divorce or the death of the employee.

Losing job-based coverage opens a special enrollment period. You can apply up to 60 days before your coverage ends or within 60 days after. Enrollment now happens through Explore Health, and new coverage usually starts the first of the next month.

If your income dropped, check OHP and OHP Bridge first. A single adult earning up to about $31,920 a year may qualify for OHP Bridge, which has no premiums or copays.

How federal COBRA works

Federal COBRA lets you keep your former employer’s group plan if the employer had 20 or more employees. Coverage usually lasts up to 18 months, and you can be charged the full premium plus a 2% administrative fee, because your employer stops paying its share.

You generally have 60 days from your election notice to choose COBRA. Coverage is retroactive, so some people wait and only elect it if they need care during that window. Talk to an agent before relying on that, because missing the deadline ends the option.

Oregon state continuation (ORS 743B.347), plus spouse continuation for people 55 and older (ORS 743B.343)

If your employer is too small for federal COBRA, Oregon law lets you keep the group plan for up to 9 months after you leave the job, have hours cut, or lose dependent status. You pay the premium monthly in advance, and it cannot be more than the group rate. Federal COBRA, by contrast, usually lasts 18 months and can cost up to 102% of the full premium.

• Who it covers: Insured group health plans of employers that are not required to offer federal COBRA, usually small employers. You must have been covered for the three months before the qualifying event.
• How long: Up to 9 months

Marketplace plans and your special enrollment period

Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day special enrollment period, so you don’t have to wait for open enrollment. In Oregon, Explore Health is Oregon’s official, state-run health insurance marketplace. We’re an independent, licensed insurance agency, not part of Explore Health or any government agency, and we can help you compare Marketplace plans and enroll. For 2026 coverage, Oregon Marketplace plans were sold through HealthCare.gov. Starting in November 2026, Oregon runs its own enrollment site, Explore Health, and stops using HealthCare.gov; enroll by December 31, 2026 for coverage that starts January 1, 2027.

Marketplace premiums are based on your expected income for the year, not last year’s. If you’re between jobs, a lower income estimate can mean a much larger premium tax credit. The enhanced federal premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025. For 2026, people above 400% of the federal poverty level lost eligibility for help, and Oregon reported that many households between 200% and 400% of FPL saw their premiums rise by about $90 to $165 a month.

If your income dropped

Oregon expanded Medicaid, so working-age adults without children can qualify for the Oregon Health Plan based on income alone, with no work history or disability required. OHP Plus has no premiums for members.

OHP Bridge covers adults up to age 65 with income from about 133% to 200% of the federal poverty level (roughly $21,228 to $31,920 a year for one person, using OHA figures in effect through February 2027). It has no member costs and includes medical, dental and behavioral health care, but you must not have access to affordable job-based coverage.

What coverage costs