COBRA Alternatives in Wisconsin (2026)

Your options after leaving a job in Wisconsin

If you leave a job in Wisconsin, you may have two ways to keep your work coverage. Federal COBRA covers employers with 20 or more workers. Wisconsin's own continuation law covers insured group plans at employers of any size, for up to 18 months, as long as you were on the plan for at least 3 months. The state law does not apply to self-funded employer plans, so ask your employer which rules fit your plan.

The state version moves faster. Your employer must send notice within 5 days, and you then have 30 days to elect it and pay, compared with 60 days under COBRA. Either way you pay the full group premium, including the part your employer used to cover, which is why continuation often costs far more than people expect.

Losing job-based coverage opens a special enrollment period on HealthCare.gov, usually lasting about 60 days. Use it to compare Marketplace plans before you commit. Wisconsin's insurance office notes that if you choose continuation and later drop it or stop paying, you generally cannot switch to an individual plan until the next open enrollment.

If your income has dropped sharply, check BadgerCare Plus. Adults with household income up to 100% of the poverty level qualify, and you can apply any time through ACCESS. Above that level, Marketplace premium tax credits pick up, so there is no coverage gap in Wisconsin.

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.

Wisconsin state continuation (Wis. Stat. s. 632.897)

Wisconsin continuation lets you keep your group coverage for up to 18 months at no more than the group rate (your share plus the employer's share). You must choose it and pay within 30 days of getting the notice, compared with 60 days under federal COBRA, which applies to employers with 20 or more employees. When both laws apply, the state insurance office says the rule more favorable to you should control.

• Who it covers: Insured group health policies from employers of any size, for people continuously covered for at least 3 months who lose eligibility (other than discharge for misconduct), plus covered spouses and dependents after a death or divorce. It does not apply to self-funded employer plans.
• How long: Up to 18 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 Wisconsin, HealthCare.gov is the federal government’s official marketplace for Wisconsin. We’re an independent, licensed insurance agency, not part of HealthCare.gov or any government agency, and we can help you compare Marketplace plans and enroll. Wisconsin uses the federal Marketplace, so the federal calendar applies. A federal rule that would have ended open enrollment on December 15 was blocked in court, and CMS has confirmed the 2027 window runs through January 15, 2027; enroll by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1.

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 premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025. The House passed a three-year extension in January 2026, but the Senate did not advance it, so the original ACA rules apply for 2026: households earning more than 400% of the federal poverty level get no premium tax credit, and people below that line pay a larger share of income than they did from 2021 to 2025. In one Milwaukee example, the cheapest plan for a 60-year-old earning $63,000 rose from $261 to $1,029 a month after subsidies.

If your income dropped

Wisconsin has not adopted the ACA Medicaid expansion, but BadgerCare Plus covers adults ages 19 to 64, including adults without children, with household income up to 100% of the federal poverty level. There is no open enrollment period for BadgerCare Plus; you can apply any time, and the fastest way is online through ACCESS.

What coverage costs