Beyond COBRA, what are two other continuation coverage options available to people who lose employer-sponsored health insurance?

When employer coverage ends, most people focus exclusively on COBRA without realizing there are often better alternatives. A marketplace SEP allows enrollment in an ACA plan within 60 days of losing coverage, and depending on your income, premium tax credits may make this option significantly cheaper than COBRA. Many states also have their own continuation coverage laws (called state continuation or mini-COBRA) that extend to employees of small businesses not subject to federal COBRA, which typically only applies to employers with 20 or more employees. Comparing total costs — premiums plus expected out-of-pocket — between COBRA and marketplace options should always be done before defaulting to COBRA.