Health Insurance If I leave my job, how long do I have to activate COBRA health insurance coverage? Written by Barbara Marquand | Posted on: May 2, 2011 Why you can trust Insure.com Quality Verified At Insure.com, we are committed to providing the timely, accurate and expert information consumers need to make smart insurance decisions. All our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. Our team carefully vets our rate data to ensure we only provide reliable and up-to-date insurance pricing. We follow the highest editorial standards. Our content is based solely on objective research and data gathering. We maintain strict editorial independence to ensure unbiased coverage of the insurance industry. You have 60 days from the date you lost coverage or when you were sent an election notice from the employer or plan administrator–whichever date was later. The landmark Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1986 sets the rules for continuing group health insurance coverage that otherwise would be lost. COBRA was created to provide an insurance safety net for families after loss of a job, death or divorce. Employers must notify health insurance plan administrators within 30 days after an employee’s death, termination, entitlement to Medicare or reduction of hours of employment. If the coverage is lost as a result of divorce, legal separation or a child’s ceasing to be covered as a dependent under the plan rules, the health plan beneficiary must notify the plan administrator. The plan administrator must then send an election notice for COBRA within 14 days. You then have 60 days to decide whether to choose COBRA continuation coverage, and after electing coverage, you have 45 days to pay the initial premium. Contact your former employer or health plan administrator if you haven’t received your COBRA enrollment packet. Besides providing health insurance now, continuing coverage through COBRA protects your health insurance rights in the future. The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guarantees that people who have continuous group health coverage–without a gap in coverage of more than 63 days–can’t be forced to sit out a waiting period because of a pre-existing condition under a new group health insurance plan. Related Articles How to add a spouse to your health insurance plan By Huma Naeem Can I drop my spouse from my health insurance at any time? By Nupur Gambhir Can you get health insurance if you retire at 62? By Shivani Gite How COBRA works if you move out of state By Barry Eitel Can my parents kick me off their health insurance By Shivani Gite Does my deductible start over if I change jobs? By Shivani Gite ZIP Code Please enter valid ZIP See rates