Just got a COBRA letter? Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period — and because COBRA carries no employer contribution and no premium tax credit, the alternative is often much cheaper.
Not a government marketplace. Health Enrollment Center is operated by Sprinter Insurance Agency LLC.
Connecticut does not use HealthCare.gov. It runs its own marketplace, Access Health CT, and for 2026 kept enrollment open through the end of January rather than the mid-December federal cutoff. Roughly 157,000 residents are covered through it, and about 80% get a premium tax credit — so for most people above the HUSKY line, the real monthly cost is what's left after the subsidy.
COBRA lets you keep your former employer's exact plan — but now you pay the whole premium plus a 2% admin fee, with no employer contribution. For most households that's $650–$1,200+ a month. The letter makes it sound like your only option. It isn't.
Losing employer coverage is a qualifying life event. It opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period on the ACA marketplace, where your income may qualify you for a premium tax credit that COBRA can never offer. Many people who were paying $900 for COBRA move to a comparable Silver plan for $300–$450 — often keeping the same primary-care doctor in-network.
The timing move that saves people money: you have 60 days from the date your coverage ends to enroll in a marketplace plan. Unlike COBRA, marketplace coverage is not retroactive — it starts on a future date, so a gap is possible if you wait. Before you pay that first COBRA invoice, it's worth a 10-minute call to compare. If an ACA plan beats COBRA, we help you enroll; if COBRA is genuinely better for your situation, we'll tell you that too.
Connecticut runs its own exchange, Access Health CT, rather than using HealthCare.gov. That matters more than it sounds: state-based exchanges set their own Open Enrollment dates, can recognize special enrollment situations the federal marketplace does not, and sometimes administer state-only programs that have no federal equivalent. Check the Access Health CT calendar rather than assuming the federal dates apply to you. Connecticut runs its own exchange, Access Health CT, on its own platform — not HealthCare.gov — and set a longer window for 2026 that ran through January 31.
One thing to check before you pay a COBRA invoice in Connecticut: if losing the job dropped your household income, the marketplace subsidy you now qualify for is usually far cheaper than COBRA — and if the drop was steep, the children may qualify for CHIP, which runs year-round rather than on the 60-day clock. For most above-poverty households, though, the win is simply a subsidized marketplace plan COBRA can never match on price. Connecticut expanded Medicaid, so HUSKY covers adults up to 138% of the poverty line and marketplace subsidies generally begin just above that floor.
The carriers writing individual business in Connecticut include Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, ConnectiCare. Networks and pricing are set county by county rather than statewide, so the same carrier can be the best value in one metro and the wrong choice an hour away. We quote Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport & Stamford — and every county in between.
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Yes. We help Connecticut residents compare COBRA alternatives options against the alternatives so you can see the real trade-offs before you enroll.
No. Connecticut runs its own marketplace, Access Health CT, on its own platform. We're licensed in Connecticut and enroll you there directly, at no extra cost, and can also show you private off-exchange options it doesn't list.
Through Access Health CT, the exchange Connecticut runs itself — not HealthCare.gov. A licensed agent can enroll you in the same plans at the same price. Because Connecticut sets its own calendar, check the Open Enrollment dates against Access Health CT rather than assuming the federal ones apply to you.
The carriers writing individual business in Connecticut include Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, ConnectiCare. Which of them is actually competitive depends on your county rather than the state — the lineup and the networks in Hartford are not the lineup in Bridgeport & Stamford. We are independent and compare across all of them rather than steering you to one company.
Start with your ZIP. Two quick questions, then a licensed agent brings you the plans you actually qualify for — no cost, no obligation.