What is Mini-COBRA Coverage?
Mini-COBRA is a rarely talked-about provision that many states have enacted in addition to the federally subsidized COBRA coverage. Traditional COBRA doesn't allow for employees who were recently laid off from small businesses with fewer than 20 employees. For this reason, all 50 states have some kind of state version of COBRA coverage, known as "mini-COBRA" (named so because it caters to employees who were laid off or left businesses with 2 to 19 employees).
It's essential that you check your state's individual mini-COBRA requirements and restrictions. Below you'll find a table that tells you the length of mini-COBRA coverage, the size of the firm covered, and any additional potential extensions (currently available in Connecticutt, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota). You will need to check with you state insurance commission to see if there are any additional requirements or restrictions.
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Mini-COBRA Basics by State
State |
Number of Employees |
Length of Program |
Arkansas (AR) |
2 to 19 |
4 Months |
California (CA) |
2 to 19 |
36 Months |
Colorado (CO) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months |
Connecticut (CT) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months* |
Florida (FL) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months |
Georgia (GA) |
2 to 19 |
3 Months |
Illinois (IL) |
2 to 19 |
9 Months |
Iowa (IA) |
2 to 19 |
9 Months |
Kansas (KS) |
2 to 19 |
6 Months |
Kentucky (KY) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months |
Louisiana (LA) |
2 to 19 |
12 Months |
Maine (ME) |
2 to 19 |
12 Months |
Maryland (MD) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months |
Massachusetts (MA) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months* |
Minnesota (MN) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months |
Mississippi (MS) |
2 to 19 |
12 Months |
Missouri (MO) |
2 to 19 |
9 Months |
Nebraska (NE) |
2 to 19 |
6 Months** |
Nevada (NV) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months* |
New Hampshire (NH) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months |
New Jersey (NJ) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months |
New Mexico (NM) |
2 to 19 |
6 Months |
New York (NY) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months* |
North Carolina (NC) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months |
North Dakota (ND) |
2 to 19 |
39 Weeks |
Ohio (OH) |
10 to 19 |
6 Months |
Oklahoma (OK) |
2 to 19 |
1 Month |
Oregon (OR) |
2 to 19 |
6 Months |
Rhode Island (RI) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months |
South Carolina (SC) |
2 to 19 |
6 Months |
South Dakota (SD) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months* |
Tennessee (TN) |
2 to 19 |
3 Months |
Texas (TX) |
2 to 19 |
6 Months |
Utah (UT) |
2 to 19 |
6 Months |
Vermont (VT) |
2 to 19 |
6 Months |
West Virginia (WV) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months |
Wisconsin (WI) |
2 to 19 |
18 Months |
Wyoming (WY) |
2 to 19 |
12 Months |
* It's possible that this term could be extended to 36 months in certain circumstances.
** In some cases, you may be able to extend this program length to 12 months.
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Does the Recently Enacted Stimulus Plan Include Mini-COBRA Subsidies?
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) does include qualifying state continuation coverage, provided that it's comparable to federal COBRA. This means that employees from small businesses in qualifying states can receive a 65% cut in their mini-COBRA premium. However, be aware that many states only provide extremely short coverage and all states may not qualify under the ARRA guidelines.
Are there Alternatives to Mini-COBRA Health Insurance?
Are there other, less expensive options than COBRA? Short answer: Yes. Mini-COBRA, much like COBRA, is very expensive, especially for families living on unemployment benefits. For this reason, it may be a good idea to explore COBRA alternatives. According to Families USA, even with the new ARRA subsidies, a COBRA plan could eat up one-third of your unemployment check1
You can find a private health insurance plan that could save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars a year.
Start here to request information on COBRA health care alternatives >>
Table Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
1 "Squeezed: Caught between Unemployment Benefits and Health Care Costs" < www.familiesusa.org >