Leaving a job? Staring at a big COBRA bill?
There's a smarter bridge than COBRA.
Instead, get high-value insurance for the big things from $89/mo — plus a team that finds affordable care when you need it so you don't fall behind. COBRA wants $650–$1,900/mo.
No deductible · Cancel anytime · No medical exam
You keep $2,000–$7,000 over a 3–4 month gap
No deductible
No medical exam to apply
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The sticker shock
You're not imagining it.
COBRA really is that much.
While you were employed, your company quietly covered 70–80% of your premium. On COBRA, you pay all of it — plus up to a 2% administrative fee.
That eye-watering number was always the true cost of your plan. The system just hid most of it from you.
While employed — your share
On COBRA — the full premium + fee
Illustrative; employer-sponsored premiums average ~$8,950/yr for single coverage. KFF Employer Health Benefits, 2024.
The bridge math
Do the math on your gap.
Most coverage gaps last three to four months. Here's what each option actually costs you over that time.
Full premium you used to split with your employer, plus admin fee.
Cash benefit for serious events + a team finding affordable care for the rest.
Marketplace (ACA) SEP
Losing job coverage opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period. But depending on income, those plans can cost as much as COBRA, and may have high deductibles or other features that don't suit short-term coverage.
Going bare
Skipping coverage entirely saves the premium — but one accident or diagnosis can mean tens of thousands out of pocket. The whole point of a bridge is to not gamble.
Built for a coverage gap
Right-sized for a gap.
Wellward is designed for exactly the situation you're in — covering the catastrophic risk while keeping your cash and your options open.
Built for flexibility
No annual contract and no commitment. Wellward is designed for the gap you're in — start and stop on your schedule.
Covers what you truly fear
For a serious event — accident, heart attack, stroke, coma, cancer — Wellward pays a fixed cash benefit directly to you to fund care fast.
Keeps your cash flow intact
At $89/mo instead of $650–1,900, your severance and savings stay yours — a real cushion between jobs instead of a premium drain.
No deductible, no network
Nothing to meet before benefits kick in, and no in- or out-of-network — so no provider is ever off-limits during your gap.
We shop the routine stuff
For everyday visits and prescriptions you need during your gap, our team hunts down the best cash-pay prices and lowest-cost pharmacies. If you need anything bigger, we find that too.
No clock running out
COBRA expires — usually after 18 months. Wellward doesn't. Join a new employer plan the day it starts, or keep Wellward going as long as you like. No time limit, your call.
How it plays out
Two ways your gap can go.
You stay healthy and bank the difference.
- 1You pay $89/mo — a fraction of COBRA — and stay protected against the big stuff.
- 2Need a check-up or a refill? Our team finds you affordable cash-pay care and the cheapest pharmacy.
- 3You bank the thousands you would have handed to COBRA.
- 4New coverage starts — cancel Wellward the same day, no penalty.
Cash lands fast — and we find you affordable options.
- 1A covered serious event happens during your gap.
- 2Wellward pays a fixed cash benefit directly to you — fast — to fund the care you need.
- 3Your job loss already opened an ACA Special Enrollment Period — and we go to work finding you affordable options.
- 4If you want to enroll in comprehensive coverage, we help you do that at the next available opportunity.
The honest part
Sometimes COBRA is the right call.
We only win if you do. If you're in one of these situations, keeping your exact plan and the deductible you've already met usually beats switching. We'll tell you straight.
You are mid-treatment
Active treatment for a serious condition usually means staying on the exact plan your specialists already accept.
You manage a chronic condition
Ongoing medications and specialist care can make comprehensive coverage worth the premium.
You have a planned surgery
A scheduled procedure this year often pencils out in favor of keeping your full plan and met deductible.
You are pregnant
Prenatal care and delivery are exactly what comprehensive coverage is built for — keep it.
How to switch
Protected by this afternoon.
You have a 60-day window to elect COBRA — and electing it is retroactive. So you can start Wellward now and decide later, with nothing lost.
Apply in minutes
A short application online — no paperwork marathon, no waiting rooms.
No medical exam
No physical and no health questionnaire to clear before you are covered.
Coverage fast
Get protected quickly — often the same day you apply.
The clock helps you. Your COBRA election window stays open for 60 days. Hold Wellward now to stay protected while you weigh COBRA vs. an ACA plan — no rush, no gap.
The 60-day window runs from the later of the date your job-based coverage ends or the date you receive your COBRA election notice. The same 60-day clock applies to ACA Special Enrollment.
COBRA FAQ
Questions, answered straight.
Wellward is not comprehensive major-medical insurance. It is a low-cost bridge: a fixed cash benefit for serious events, plus we find you affordable cash-pay care for everyday needs. For many people in a short gap, that is a far smarter use of money than COBRA's full premium.
Wellward is $89/mo for an individual and $241/mo for a family. COBRA varies widely depending on your former plan, but typically runs around $650/mo for an individual and roughly $1,900/mo for a family. Over a typical 3–4 month gap, that difference is often several thousand dollars that stays in your pocket.
Use the time. Start Wellward today for $89/mo to stay protected, then decide on COBRA or an ACA plan before your election window closes. Electing COBRA is retroactive to your coverage-loss date, so waiting costs you nothing.
If a covered serious event happens — accident, heart attack, stroke, cancer, coma — Wellward pays a cash benefit directly to you, fast, to fund the care you need.
Potentially. Losing job-based coverage — whether you quit, were laid off, or were let go — generally triggers a 60-day Special Enrollment Period on the ACA marketplace, and subsidized plans are often far cheaper than COBRA. (Voluntarily dropping coverage while still employed, or losing it for non-payment, does not qualify.) Wellward holds you over while you confirm your eligibility, compare, and enroll.
Absolutely. When your new employer's plan starts, you can move to it and end your Wellward coverage.
There is no network, so you are never out-of-network. We help you get the best self-pay rates possible at your current providers — or find you new ones with affordable self-pay rates during the gap — and switch prescriptions to the lowest-cost pharmacy while you are between plans.
If you are mid-treatment, managing a chronic condition, have a planned surgery this year, or are pregnant, keeping your exact plan and your already-met deductible usually wins.
Bridge the gap for $89 a month.
Skip the COBRA sticker shock. Get serious-event coverage plus a team that finds you affordable care — and keep your severance where it belongs.
No deductible · Cancel anytime · No medical exam