Health Insurance Between Jobs: Own a PPO That Doesn’t Depend on Any Employer
When you leave a job, your work health insurance usually ends on your last day or at the end of that month. To stay covered between jobs, you can take COBRA, buy a short-term plan, join a spouse’s plan, or own a private PPO that isn’t tied to any employer.
Yes, you can have health insurance between jobs that belongs to you, not your next boss.
A private PPO is in your name. Apply any time of year, often start next month, and keep it at your next job or when you go out on your own. It’s medically underwritten, so you need approval.
By Thyrza De Oliveira, Licensed Health Insurance Agent, NPN 21702538
Coverage that isn’t tied to a job
- In your name, not your employer’s
- Apply any month of the year
- Often starts as soon as next month
- Stays with you at your next job
What Happens to Your Health Insurance When You Leave a Job?
If you just gave notice, start with my guide You Quit the Job, Don’t Quit the Benefits.
Your plan ends with your job
Many work plans end on your last day or at the end of that month. Ask HR for your exact end date.
COBRA means paying the full price
Same plan, but you now pay the whole premium, including your employer’s share.
Your new job has a waiting period
Some employers make new hires wait before benefits start. Without a plan of your own, that wait is a gap.
You’re starting your own thing
Starting a business or taking contract work means no employer plan is coming.
COBRA or Your Own PPO: Which Is Better Between Jobs?
Your old work plan, at full price
- You pay the full premium, plus an admin fee
- Usually lasts up to 18 months, then ends
- Still tied to your old employer’s plan
- Your old employer picked the network and deductible
A plan you choose and keep
- In your name, not tied to any employer
- You choose your deductible, from $2,500 up to $10,000
- Office visits, labs and prescriptions before the deductible (everyday-care rider, most states)
- Keep it when you start a new job or your own business
If you’re healthy and want coverage that lasts past your next job, your own PPO is often the better fit. COBRA can still make sense if you’re in the middle of treatment or may not qualify for a medically underwritten plan.
What Are Your Options for Health Insurance Between Jobs?
| Option | How it works | How long it lasts | Network | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COBRA | You keep your same work plan and pay the full cost | Usually up to 18 months | Same as your work plan | Often costs much more than what came out of your paycheck |
| Short-term plan | Temporary coverage for a gap | Limited; rules vary by state | Varies | Often excludes pre-existing conditions. Not a long-term solution |
| Spouse’s plan | You join your spouse’s work plan (adding the whole family often gets expensive) | As long as your spouse has it | Whatever their employer chose | Losing your coverage usually lets you join, but the window is short |
| Your own private PPO | A plan in your name, medically underwritten | As long as you keep it | Broad national PPO, no referrals | Apply any month, often starts next month, stays with you at your next job |
Small employer? Your state may have its own rules. Read how state mini-COBRA laws work.
How Does Your Own PPO Work Between Jobs?
A private PPO is a plan you buy directly through a licensed agent like me, outside the Marketplace. It’s in your name, so no employer can take it away.
You pick your deductible, from $2,500 up to $10,000. After that, the plan pays 80% and you pay 20% until you reach a set yearly out-of-pocket maximum. There is no lifetime maximum. With the everyday-care rider (available in most states), office visits, x-rays, lab work, prescriptions and screenings are covered before you meet your deductible.
You get a broad national PPO network, the same kind large employers use, with no referrals to see specialists. You can add accident coverage or a critical illness benefit that pays a lump sum. New to PPOs? Read PPO vs HMO: the real difference.
The fine print, in plain words: these plans are medically underwritten. You answer health questions and need approval, and not everyone qualifies. Conditions you list on the application are reviewed in underwriting. Conditions you don’t list have a 12-month wait. Once you’re approved, your plan can’t be cancelled because your health changes, as long as you answered the application truthfully.
Why Your Own PPO Beats Temporary Coverage
It’s yours
No employer owns it, so no employer can end it.
No gap when you leave
Line it up to start when your work plan ends.
Keep it at your next job
No waiting period worry. It keeps going.
You choose the deductible
From $2,500 up to $10,000.
No referrals
See the specialist you need, directly.
Apply any month
No waiting for Open Enrollment.
Will You Have a Gap in Coverage Between Jobs?
A work plan stops when the job does. Your own PPO keeps running.
The trick is timing. Apply before your last day, so if you’re approved your new plan can start the month after your work plan ends.
How Much Does Health Insurance Between Jobs Cost?
The short answer: the price of a private PPO depends on your age, your ZIP code and the deductible you pick. Not on where you work.
- Your COBRA notice. It shows the monthly COBRA cost. Hold it next to your PPO quote.
- Premium vs. deductible. A higher deductible lowers your monthly cost.
- The whole year. Add up premiums, deductible, and what you pay for visits and prescriptions.
Can You Get Health Insurance Right After You Quit?
Yes. You can apply for a private PPO any time of year. If you’re approved, coverage often starts as soon as next month.
No need to wait for Open Enrollment, which runs Nov 1, 2026 to Jan 15, 2027 on the Marketplace.
Leaving a job can also open a special enrollment window on the Marketplace, but many of those plans are HMO or EPO plans with high deductibles and narrow networks. If you want a PPO with a deductible you choose, I can quote it before your last day.
Who Is a Private PPO Between Jobs For?
Going out on your own? See my guides for the self-employed and for independent contractors.
Private Health Insurance Between Jobs, by State
I’m licensed in 31 states. Pick yours to see private health insurance where you live.
Thyrza De Oliveira
Licensed Health Insurance Agent
NPN: 21702538
Work With a Licensed Agent, Not a Call Center
“Leaving a job is stressful enough. I’ll look at your COBRA notice with you, quote your own PPO, and tell you plainly which one makes more sense for you.”
I’m Thyrza De Oliveira, a licensed health insurance agent (NPN 21702538) in 31 states. When you start your next job or your own business, I’m still the person you call.