COBRA in North Dakota

North Dakota continuation lasts thirty-nine weeks, roughly nine months. The request window is short: ten days from the later of leaving the job or being told about your right, and never more than thirty-one days after termination.

Reviewed by Prodest Insurance Group, a licensed insurance agency (NPN 19515569) · Updated 20 October 2026 against the North Dakota Century Code and federal sources.

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Thirty-Nine Weeks, and a Ten-Day Window

Section 26.1-36-23 of the North Dakota Century Code lets employees whose group hospital, surgical, and major medical coverage would end because they left the job continue it for themselves and their eligible dependents. You must have been insured under the group policy for the whole three months ending with the termination.

Two deadlines run at once

You must request continuation in writing within ten days of the later of your termination date or the day your employer or the policyholder gives you notice of the right. Whatever the notice date, you cannot elect more than thirty-one days after termination.

Your written election and the first monthly premium must reach the policyholder or employer within thirty-one days of the date your insurance would otherwise end.

North Dakota Continuation Compared With Federal COBRA

	Federal COBRA	North Dakota continuation
Who it reaches	Employers with 20 or more employees	Insured group plans
How long	18 months, up to 36 for some events	39 weeks
Prior coverage needed	None	Three months continuously insured
Time to elect	60 days	10 days after termination or notice, and no later than 31 days after termination
What you pay	Up to 102 percent of the full premium	No more than the group rate
What is included	The same plan you had	Hospital, surgical, and major medical. Dental, vision, and prescription drugs need not be included
If the plan is replaced	Coverage continues under the plan	Carries over to the replacement group policy for the balance of the period
At the end	Coverage stops	Any conversion option in the group plan. 31 days to elect it

You pay monthly and in advance to the policyholder or employer.

Who Cannot Use It

Continuation is not available to anyone covered by Medicare, or to anyone covered under another group arrangement that they did not have immediately before the termination.

Coverage also ends early if a premium is not paid on time, or if the group policy ends without being replaced.

After a Divorce

A separate section, 26.1-36-23.1, protects former spouses. A group policy that covers spouses cannot end a spouse's coverage because of a break in the marriage, other than a final decree of divorce or annulment. The section applies to self-insured plans as well as insured ones.

Where the decree requires the insured to keep providing coverage, the former spouse and dependent children can stay on the group plan for up to thirty-six months, or until the former spouse remarries, whichever comes first. The insured pays the premium contributions, capped at 102 percent of the group premium.

When that continuation ends, or if the decree does not require coverage, the former spouse and children can obtain conversion coverage without evidence of insurability, applying within thirty days of notice that the continued coverage has ended.

How Much Does COBRA Cost in North Dakota?

Federal COBRA lets a plan charge up to 102 percent of the full premium: everything your employer was paying, everything you were paying, plus two percent. Based on North Dakota's average employer premium in 2025, that works out to about $792 a month for single coverage and $2,117 a month for family coverage. That is about $25 a month more than the U.S. average of $767 for single coverage.

	Single coverage	Family coverage
Average full annual premium in North Dakota	$9,318	$24,903
Estimated COBRA cost per month (102%)	$792	$2,117

Estimate = average total employer premium in North Dakota × 1.02 ÷ 12, from the federal Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2025). These are averages. Your exact premium depends on your former employer's plan and is listed on your COBRA election notice. If you are on state continuation instead of federal COBRA, the premium rules described on this page apply.

Compare COBRA costs in every state →
Estimate your own premium with the COBRA cost calculator →
Nearby states: Minnesota · Montana · South Dakota

Health Insurance After Job Loss in North Dakota

North Dakota expanded Medicaid, so adults under 65 with household income up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level may qualify. Federal law passed in 2025 adds work and community engagement requirements for expansion adults from January 2027.

A spouse or parent's plan. Losing your own coverage usually opens a window to join a family member's employer plan, and that window can be as short as 30 days. Ask early.

Common Questions

How much is COBRA insurance in North Dakota?

About $792 a month for single coverage and $2,117 a month for family coverage, based on North Dakota's 2025 average employer premium plus the 2 percent administrative fee federal COBRA allows. Your actual premium depends on your former employer's plan and appears on your COBRA election notice.

What are my health insurance options after losing my job in North Dakota?

North Dakota uses the federal Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov. Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period, and you can enrol up to 60 days before coverage ends so a new plan starts as the old one stops. North Dakota expanded Medicaid, so adults under 65 with household income up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level may qualify. Federal law passed in 2025 adds work and community engagement requirements for expansion adults from January 2027.

How long does North Dakota continuation last?

39 weeks.

How long do I have to ask?

Ten days in writing from the later of termination or notice, and never more than 31 days after termination.

How much does it cost?

No more than the group rate.

Do I need prior coverage?

Yes. The whole three months ending with the termination.

What about a former spouse after divorce?

If the decree requires coverage, the former spouse and children can continue for up to 36 months or until remarriage, at no more than 102 percent.

Did North Dakota expand Medicaid?

Yes. Adults under 65 with household income up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level may qualify.

Sources

Drawn from the North Dakota Century Code as published by the North Dakota Legislative Branch, and federal sources. Your plan documents and the terms your carrier provides govern your specific situation.

North Dakota Century Code, Chapter 26.1-36, Sections 26.1-36-23 and 26.1-36-23.1 (PDF)
U.S. Department of Labor, FAQs on COBRA Continuation Health Coverage for Workers
HealthCare.gov, Special Enrollment Period (glossary)
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Insurance Component, 2025

Ten days is not long

If you have just left a North Dakota employer, the written request comes first. A licensed agent can check your dates and price a Marketplace plan alongside continuation. No charge, no obligation.