Short answer: COBRA eligibility is triggered when a qualifying event—such as job loss, reduced hours, divorce, death of the employee, or a dependent aging out—causes a loss of group health coverage.
COBRA continuation coverage is available only when a qualifying event causes an employee, spouse, or dependent to lose coverage under the group health plan’s normal rules. The event itself is not enough; it must result in an actual loss of coverage.
For employees, common qualifying events include a voluntary or involuntary termination of employment (other than for gross misconduct) and a reduction in hours that causes loss of eligibility, such as moving from full-time to part-time status.
For spouses and dependents, qualifying events can include divorce or legal separation from the covered employee, the death of the covered employee, the covered employee becoming entitled to Medicare, or a dependent child losing eligibility under the plan, often due to aging out at age 26.
To be eligible for COBRA, the individual must have been covered under the group health plan on the day before the qualifying event, and the employer must be subject to COBRA requirements. If coverage is lost for reasons unrelated to a qualifying event—such as failure to pay premiums—COBRA may not apply.
Sources
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U.S. Department of Labor, FAQs on COBRA Continuation Health Coverage:
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/laws-and-regulations/laws/cobra -
U.S. Department of Labor, An Employer’s Guide to Group Health Continuation Coverage Under COBRA (Qualifying Events):
https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/EBSA/about-ebsa/our-activities/resource-center/publications/an-employers-guide-to-group-health-continuation-coverage-under-cobra.pdf
Content history
Originally published: March 27, 2025
Last reviewed: January 24, 2026