COBRA coverage is a temporary continuation of coverage. When the qualifying event is your death, divorce, dissolution of a domestic partnership or a covered child's losing eligibility as a dependent, COBRA coverage for your dependents may continue for up to a total of 36 months.

If you're the covered employee and your Medicare entitlement precedes a reduction in hours of employment or the end of employment, your spouse/domestic partner and covered children are entitled to COBRA coverage for up to 18 months from the end of employment or 36 months from the earlier Medicare entitlement date, whichever is greater. For example, if you become entitled to Medicare 8 months before the date on which your employment ends, COBRA coverage for your spouse/domestic partner and covered children can continue for up to 28 months after the date of the qualifying event (that is, 36 months minus 8 months).

However, when the qualifying event is loss of coverage due to the end of your employment or a change in your job status, COBRA coverage continues only up to a total of 18 months.