Short Term Health Insurance can help bridge a coverage gap

Short-Term health insurance plans, sometimes called Term health insurance or Temporary health insurance, are designed to bridge gaps in your health care coverage during times of transition.^F9

Short Term or Temporary health insurance plans may make sense if you are:

• Rolling off your parent’s insurance
• In between jobs
• Without health insurance, have missed Open Enrollment and do not have a qualifying event for Special Enrollment
• Waiting for your Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage to begin
• Waiting for benefits to begin at a new job
• Waiting for Medicare
• Needing a temporary alternative to COBRA insurance
• Losing coverage following a divorce
• Under 65 and in good health

In these situations and others where you find yourself temporarily lacking health care coverage, choosing a Short-Term health insurance plan may be just the security you need to get you to that next stage of your life.

As early as the next day after you apply in many cases.

No. You can apply for Short Term or Temporary health insurance at any time. This is different from Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage, also known as Obamacare, which you can buy only during Open Enrollment each year or during a qualified Special Enrollment time.

Yes, you can cover spouses and dependents with Short Term insurance. Note: All family members will be subject to the same series of medical questions to determine if they are eligible for the plan.

Short-Term health insurance is not “minimum essential coverage” as defined by the ACA. As of January 1, 2019, there is no federal tax penalty for not having minimum essential coverage.

However, tax penalties may still vary at the state level. Consult your tax advisor for more information.

Short Term medical insurance typically does not cover preexisting medical conditions. The definition of preexisting condition varies by state, but, in general, Short Term health insurance plans exclude coverage for conditions that have been diagnosed or treated within the previous 2 to 5 years.

If you have an existing medical condition, you may want to find out whether you can extend your current insurance. Employer-sponsored insurance may be extended under COBRA (or a similar state program).

Yes. You can make some choices that can help you find the best Short Term health insurance costs for your situation:

Choose a higher deductible. The deductible is what you have to pay of the expenses covered by your insurance plan before the insurance will pay anything. If you choose a higher deductible, meaning you pay more before the insurance starts paying, you can reduce your premium.

Choose a plan with fewer benefits. Not all Short Term health insurance plans are the same. Just as with Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance, you will find different levels of coverage available with different benefits for different prices. For example, you can control if your plan includes copays, a fixed dollar amount you pay, for a doctor’s office visit or if you want to include prescription drug coverage.

Stay in network. Picking a health care provider or a specialist that is in the extensive UnitedHealthcare network may save you money because the providers agree to provide quality care at reduced rates.

No. Because temporary insurance plans are not minimum essential coverage as defined by the ACA, you are not eligible for tax subsidies to help pay for them. However, generally, Short Term health insurance plans cost less than ACA health plans.

A federal rule regulates Short Term Limited Duration Insurance to terms of less than 12 months (364 days). However, term lengths vary by state. Check your state's plan brochure for details.

No problem. You can drop your coverage at any time without penalty.

The federal rule regulating Short-Term plans allows for a 36-month maximum duration of renewable coverage. Some states will allow only Short-Term health insurance plans issued for a specific period of time that cannot be extended.

In other states, you can apply for back-to-back plans that together give you coverage for more than a year.

Finally, in some states, when your term is ending, you can apply for a new Short Term plan.^F12 Remember, though, this is not an extension of your first plan. Any illness or condition you develop while covered under your first plan would be considered a preexisting condition for the new plan.

Yes, most likely you can. UnitedHealthcare offers one of the largest networks in the U.S. With access to nearly 1.4 million physicians and other health care professionals, and approximately 6,500 hospitals and other medical facilities,^F1 chances are your current doctor is already a part of our nationwide network.

Health care professionals in our network agree to provide you quality care at lower fees.

Not necessarily. Your deductible is what you have to pay of the expenses covered by your insurance plan before the insurance will pay anything. Short Term Medical insurance plans underwritten by Golden Rule Insurance Company allow you to choose your deductible level from options starting at $1,000, depending on plan.

Sometimes. Prescription coverage is available with some temporary insurance plans. Check specific plans for details.

Sometimes. Preventive care coverage is available with some temporary insurance plans. Check specific plans for details.

No. You are under no obligation when using our site. After submitting your application, you may cancel it at any time during the underwriting process.

Note, however, that an application fee may apply in some cases.

No. Some health plans make you select a primary care provider or primary care physician (PCP) to be the main health care professional who takes care of you. With Short Term Medical insurance plans,^F13 you can go to any qualified health care provider you choose at any time.

No. A referral is a type of preapproval some health plans require where your primary care provider (PCP) must refer you to another doctor or for a specific service for that visit or service to be covered by the plan. With Short Term Medical insurance plans,^F13 you can go directly to any specialist of your choice without needing a referral.

TriTerm Medical insurance is short term insurance that lasts almost 3 years.

Learn more.