COBRA lets you pay the full premium to continue. If your company has been covering 80% or more, the premiums alone will be insane. Also this comes at a time when you just lost your job...
I realize COBRA is the full premium. My claim is that, if company coverage is lost in the middle of an expensive treatment, COBRA is more affordable than the out-of-pocket cost.
COBRA is older than ACA. Special enrollment in ACA under the job loss enrollment period exemption may be a better option than COBRA.
Your claim is that if they are independently wealthy, OR are willing to forego food and housing, COBRA will save them from unexpected healthcare costs.
I did not claim it would save from unexpected costs. The full premium is an unexpected cost. I claimed COBRA is more affordable than out-of-pocket healthcare if you are in the middle of an expensive treatment at the moment you lose employer coverage.
Jumping onto ACA via unemployment exemption or Medicaid could require a transfer to a different doctor, etc. in the middle of treatment.
