COBRA Health Insurance in New York

New York gives people leaving a job some of the longest continuation rights in the country. Whether you worked for a 10-person office in Brooklyn or a large employer in Midtown, state law can keep you on your insured group plan for up to 36 months – and if you have 18 months of federal COBRA, New York can add 18 more. The catch is the price: in New York you pay the full premium, which is often far more than your old paycheck deduction. Our licensed agents have over 25 years of combined experience helping New Yorkers compare that cost with NY State of Health and private plans.

For the national basics, see our COBRA health insurance guide. Below is how it works in New York State and New York City.

New York state continuation in detail

The rule is in New York Insurance Law §3221(m) for insurance companies, with matching provisions in §§4304(k) and 4305(e) for HMOs and other health plans. It applies when coverage ends because your job or your membership in an eligible class ends – for any reason.

• No health questions: you can continue coverage for yourself and your eligible dependents without evidence of insurability.
• 60 days to elect in writing, counted from the later of your termination date or the date the policyholder mails notice of your right to continue. Your written election and first payment are due within 60 days of the date your benefits would otherwise end.
• Cost: paid to your former employer or policyholder, no more often than monthly in advance, and no more than 102% of the group rate. DFS notes this may be different from what was taken out of your paycheck.
• Up to 36 months after your benefits would otherwise have ended. The same 36-month limit applies to dependents who lose coverage after the employee’s death, a divorce or legal separation, Medicare entitlement, or aging out of the plan.
• Ends early if you become entitled to Medicare, get covered by another group plan, miss a payment, or the employer ends the group policy. If the group switches to a similar plan, you can move to that plan for the rest of your period.

What COBRA costs in New York

New York has some of the highest employer premiums in the country. KFF’s 2025 New York averages (rounded):

For the average New York worker with single coverage, that’s a jump from about $186 a month to about $928 – roughly five times as much. A family could go from about $590 to about $2,529 a month. Because New York continuation can run 36 months, it’s worth checking whether a cheaper plan makes more sense for the long run.

Dropping COBRA mid-year in New York

NY State of Health is clear that voluntarily dropping coverage and losing coverage for not paying premiums are not qualifying life events. So timing matters:

New York alternatives to COBRA

When COBRA is worth keeping in New York

• You’re in treatment at a specific hospital system and need to stay in network.
• You need a long bridge. Up to 36 months of continuation can carry an early retiree close to Medicare.
• Your deductible is mostly met for the year.
• Your income is too high for tax credits and your group plan is richer than individual options.

It’s worth shopping if your income has dropped, you might qualify for Medicaid or a subsidized plan, or a young adult in the family could use the Age 29 option instead.

How it works: 4 simple steps

You’ll speak with a licensed agent, not a recording.

New Yorkers we help

• Employees of small NYC businesses with 36 months of state continuation.
• Finance, tech and media workers facing a large COBRA bill after a layoff.
• Workers between jobs in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island.
• Upstate workers in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany leaving an employer plan.
• Families who lost the Essential Plan in 2026.