COBRA is typically expensive, but it may be helpful if you have high medical expenses and your plan covers your Medicare cost-sharing or offers other needed benefits. Note: If you are eligible for Medicare due to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), your COBRA coverage is primary during the 30-month coordination period.

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) is a federal law passed in 1986 that lets certain employees, their spouses, and their dependents keep group health plan (GHP) coverage for 18 to 36 months after they leave their job or lose coverage for certain other reasons, as long as they pay the full cost of the premium.

You are eligible for COBRA if both of the following conditions apply: You are enrolled in job-based insurance (employer group health plan) where COBRA applies And, you have a “qualifying event” (such as termination of employment) that causes you to lose job-based insurance.

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If you have COBRA and are approaching Medicare eligibility, know that your COBRA coverage usually ends on the date you get Medicare. You should enroll in Medicare Part B immediately to ensure seamless coverage. If your COBRA coverage is ending and you are not Medicare-eligible, you should find alternative insurance to avoid gaps in coverage.

If you develop a disability within the first 60 days of getting COBRA coverage, you and your family may be able to extend your COBRA by 11 months, to a maximum of 29 months. In this case, you must tell your COBRA insurer that you developed a disability no later than 60 days after receiving your disability determination.

These sections explain how Medicare coordinates with other kinds of insurance to cover care, and how to maximize coverage.

Speak to your employer before making enrollment decisions. If you have ESRD Medicare first and then qualify for COBRA, your employer must offer you COBRA coverage. In either case, COBRA coverage is primary during the 30-month coordination period and secondary after.

When you have Medicare and another type of insurance, Medicare is either your primary or secondary insurer. Use the table below to learn how Medicare coordinates with other insurances.

Medicare Interactive (MI) is a free and independent online reference tool to help people with Medicare navigate the complex world of health insurance.