How Long Does Health Insurance Last After Leaving A Job? 
It depends upon the circumstances of your departure . In the extreme case where a person is `` terminated for cause '' , punching the boss in the nose for example , then your coverage may be terminated as you are heading out the door . While each employer has their own internal personnel policies regarding employees leaving the job , generally you will be covered until the end of your last month of employment because you have probably had money withheld from your paycheck to pay for that month 's premium . When an employee resigns from a company or is terminated/laid off under normal circumstances then the ex-employee has the legal right to continue their coverage under their former employer 's health plan for some period of time . If the employer has less than 20 employees then state continuation provisions -LRB- which vary from state to state -RRB- will apply . If the employee has 20 or more employees then the Federal COBRA provisions apply where most people can continue their coverage for up to 18-months and even longer in some situations such as divorce . It is the ex-employee 's responsibility to inform their former employer that they will be continuing their coverage and it is the ex-employee 's responsibility to pay the full premium on time each month . 