Once a qualifying event happens, how long will COBRA eligibility last?

COBRA eligibility may last as long as eighteen months, depending on the circumstances. Coverage may end for any of these reasons: on the last day of the maximum coverage period, when it lapses for nonpayment, the employer stops offering any group health plan, the beneficiary obtains coverage through another employer group health plan that does not limit or exclude coverage for the beneficiary’s pre-existing condition, or the beneficiary becomes entitled to Medicare benefits.