<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>
	<periodOfReport>2003-09-24</periodOfReport>
	<notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001062780</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>COBALT CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>CBZ</issuerTradingSymbol>
	</issuer>
	<reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001195098</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ALLEN BARRY K</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O ALLEN ENTERPRISES LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>18500 WEST CORPORATE DRIVE, SUITE 170</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BROOKFIELD</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>WI</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>53045</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
			<isDirector>1</isDirector>
			<isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
			<isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
			<isOther>0</isOther>
		</reportingOwnerRelationship>
	</reportingOwner>
	<nonDerivativeTable>
		<nonDerivativeTransaction>
			<securityTitle>
				<value>Common Stock</value>
			</securityTitle>
			<transactionDate>
				<value>2003-09-24</value>
			</transactionDate>
			<deemedExecutionDate>
			</deemedExecutionDate>
			<transactionCoding>
				<transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
				<transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
				<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
			</transactionCoding>
			<transactionAmounts>
				<transactionShares>
					<value>10000</value>
				</transactionShares>
				<transactionPricePerShare>
					<value>0</value>
					<footnoteId id="F1"/>
				</transactionPricePerShare>
				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
					<value>D</value>
				</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
			</transactionAmounts>
			<postTransactionAmounts>
				<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
					<value>0</value>
				</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
			</postTransactionAmounts>
			<ownershipNature>
				<directOrIndirectOwnership>
					<value>D</value>
				</directOrIndirectOwnership>
				<natureOfOwnership>
					<value/>
				</natureOfOwnership>
			</ownershipNature>
		</nonDerivativeTransaction>
	</nonDerivativeTable>
	<derivativeTable>
		<derivativeTransaction>
			<securityTitle>
				<value>Director Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
			</securityTitle>
			<conversionOrExercisePrice>
				<value>5.7500</value>
			</conversionOrExercisePrice>
			<transactionDate>
				<value>2003-09-24</value>
			</transactionDate>
			<deemedExecutionDate>
			</deemedExecutionDate>
			<transactionCoding>
				<transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
				<transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
				<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
			</transactionCoding>
			<transactionAmounts>
				<transactionShares>
					<value>6000</value>
				</transactionShares>
				<transactionPricePerShare>
					<value>0</value>
					<footnoteId id="F5"/>
				</transactionPricePerShare>
				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
					<value>D</value>
				</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
			</transactionAmounts>
			<exerciseDate>
				<footnoteId id="F3"/>
			</exerciseDate>
			<expirationDate>
				<value>2012-05-30</value>
			</expirationDate>
			<underlyingSecurity>
				<underlyingSecurityTitle>
					<value>Common Stock</value>
				</underlyingSecurityTitle>
				<underlyingSecurityShares>
					<value>6000</value>
				</underlyingSecurityShares>
			</underlyingSecurity>
			<postTransactionAmounts>
				<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
					<value>0</value>
				</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
			</postTransactionAmounts>
			<ownershipNature>
				<directOrIndirectOwnership>
					<value>D</value>
				</directOrIndirectOwnership>
				<natureOfOwnership>
					<value/>
				</natureOfOwnership>
			</ownershipNature>
		</derivativeTransaction>
		<derivativeTransaction>
			<securityTitle>
				<value>Director Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
				<footnoteId id="F2"/>
			</securityTitle>
			<conversionOrExercisePrice>
				<value>19.9900</value>
			</conversionOrExercisePrice>
			<transactionDate>
				<value>2003-09-24</value>
			</transactionDate>
			<deemedExecutionDate>
			</deemedExecutionDate>
			<transactionCoding>
				<transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
				<transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
				<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
			</transactionCoding>
			<transactionAmounts>
				<transactionShares>
					<value>1000</value>
				</transactionShares>
				<transactionPricePerShare>
					<value>0</value>
					<footnoteId id="F5"/>
				</transactionPricePerShare>
				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
					<value>D</value>
				</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
			</transactionAmounts>
			<exerciseDate>
				<footnoteId id="F3"/>
			</exerciseDate>
			<expirationDate>
				<value>2014-05-28</value>
			</expirationDate>
			<underlyingSecurity>
				<underlyingSecurityTitle>
					<value>Common Stock</value>
				</underlyingSecurityTitle>
				<underlyingSecurityShares>
					<value>1000</value>
				</underlyingSecurityShares>
			</underlyingSecurity>
			<postTransactionAmounts>
				<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
					<value>0</value>
				</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
			</postTransactionAmounts>
			<ownershipNature>
				<directOrIndirectOwnership>
					<value>D</value>
				</directOrIndirectOwnership>
				<natureOfOwnership>
					<value/>
				</natureOfOwnership>
			</ownershipNature>
		</derivativeTransaction>
		<derivativeTransaction>
			<securityTitle>
				<value>Director Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
				<footnoteId id="F2"/>
			</securityTitle>
			<conversionOrExercisePrice>
				<value>14.1000</value>
			</conversionOrExercisePrice>
			<transactionDate>
				<value>2003-09-24</value>
			</transactionDate>
			<deemedExecutionDate>
			</deemedExecutionDate>
			<transactionCoding>
				<transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
				<transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
				<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
			</transactionCoding>
			<transactionAmounts>
				<transactionShares>
					<value>1000</value>
				</transactionShares>
				<transactionPricePerShare>
					<value>0</value>
					<footnoteId id="F5"/>
				</transactionPricePerShare>
				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
					<value>D</value>
				</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
			</transactionAmounts>
			<exerciseDate>
				<footnoteId id="F3"/>
			</exerciseDate>
			<expirationDate>
				<value>2014-12-31</value>
				<footnoteId id="F4"/>
			</expirationDate>
			<underlyingSecurity>
				<underlyingSecurityTitle>
					<value>Common Stock</value>
				</underlyingSecurityTitle>
				<underlyingSecurityShares>
					<value>1000</value>
				</underlyingSecurityShares>
			</underlyingSecurity>
			<postTransactionAmounts>
				<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
					<value>0</value>
				</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
			</postTransactionAmounts>
			<ownershipNature>
				<directOrIndirectOwnership>
					<value>D</value>
				</directOrIndirectOwnership>
				<natureOfOwnership>
					<value/>
				</natureOfOwnership>
			</ownershipNature>
		</derivativeTransaction>
	</derivativeTable>
	<footnotes>
		<footnote id="F1">Disposed of pursuant to the merger agreement between issuer and WellPoint Health Networks Inc. (WellPoint) whereby each share of issuer common stock was canceled and replaced with the right to receive 0.1233 share of WellPoint common stock and $10.25 in cash.  On September 24, 2003, the effective date of the merger, the closing price of WellPoint common stock was $76.30 per share.</footnote>
		<footnote id="F2">Grant to reporting person of option to buy shares of issuer common stock under the Cobalt Corporation Equity Incentive Plan.</footnote>
		<footnote id="F3">The option vested and became immediately exercisable at the effective time of the merger.</footnote>
		<footnote id="F4">The Form 4 filed on January 6, 2003 mistakenly reported the expiration date of this option as 12/31/2015.  The correct expiration date is 12/31/2014.</footnote>
		<footnote id="F5">This option was converted into an option to purchase 0.2466 shares of WellPoint common stock (rounded down to the nearest whole share) for each share of issuer common stock subject to the original option.  Such new option is otherwise subject to the same terms and conditions as the original option, except that the exercise price per share of WellPoint common stock is equal to the exercise price per share of issuer common stock under the original option divided by 0.2466 (rounded up to the nearest whole cent).</footnote>
	</footnotes>
	<remarks>
	</remarks>
	<ownerSignature>
		<signatureName>By: Peter C. Underwood, Attorney-In-Fact</signatureName>
		<signatureDate>2003-09-25</signatureDate>
	</ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>

