The creation of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or COBRA, let many people keep their fantastic health insurance after they left a job. COBRA lasts only a year, but it's often enough to keep people well-insured as they deal with transitioning to another job. COBRA is expensive, and the rules can be complicated when switching from COBRA insurance to private health insurance or insurance through another job. While your benefits office should be able to handle most calls, it's often better to have a dedicated benefits service take over the files of employees who are using COBRA.