Short Term Health Insurance

Affordable Health Insurance To Help Fill In The Gap

Short Term Health Insurance

For those who didn’t enroll in coverage during open enrollment, aren’t eligible for employer-sponsored coverage or Medicaid/CHIP, and aren’t expecting a qualifying event later in the year, Short-Term Health insurance may be a great option for you.

Short-term health insurance provides coverage for a limited period, usually between 30 and 90 days, but can provide coverage for as long as 36 months (3 years). Short-Term insurance is a good idea for healthy individuals due to the fact that short-term premiums are lower cost if you are between plans. Or if you’ve missed the open enrollment deadline (ding! ding! ding!), a plan like this is perfect for you. Let’s dive into more detail about Short Term Health Insurance and whether or not it’s a good plan for you and/or your family.

What exactly is Short-Term Health Insurance?

Short-term health insurance is a type of health plan that can provide you with temporary medical coverage when you are between health plans, outside enrollment periods, and need some coverage in case of an emergency. However, to get the most out of a short term health plan, you need to understand how they work, what they cost, and what they cover. *It’s important to note this is temporary health insurance and pre-existing conditions are not covered.

What does Short-Term Health Insurance cover?

Short-term health insurance coverage varies greatly depending on the plan and the insurance company you buy from. Select insurance providers such as Golden Rule Insurance Company may offer a short-term plan that offers coverage for up to a year.

UPDATE APRIL 2024 – please read:

Since July 2023, Allstate Health Solutions has been following the ongoing proposed ruling that included changes to products filed as Short Term Medical Limited Duration Insurance (STLDI), Hospital Indemnity (HI) and Other Fixed Indemnity (OFI) Supplemental Health Plans. As we continue to navigate this ever-changing environment, we’re building on our legacy of innovation and remain strongly committed to providing short term medical and supplemental solutions that meet the needs of your customers. We’ll keep you informed as we move forward, but it’s important to remember that until September 1, it’s business as usual for you. Focus on serving your customers with the products we offer today. Below is a summary of the new regulations, which were released March 28, 2024:

Short Term Medical Limited Duration Insurance Changes to coverage duration & renewal:

Initial STLDI contract terms are limited to no more than three months, and the maximum coverage period to no more than four months, including renewals or extensions.
STLDI policies cannot be sold or renewed by the same issuer, or any issuer that is a member of the same controlled group, to the same policyholder within a rolling 12-month period.
- Applicability date: The maximum duration will apply for policies sold, or issued, on or after September 1, 2024. Policies sold or issued before September 1, 2024 (including any subsequent renewals or extensions) may continue to have an initial contract term of fewer than 12 months and a maximum duration of up to 36 months.

Change to disclosure requirements:

The new rule requires a change in the Consumer Notices. As of September 1, 2024, all applicable material must have the new information prominently displayed on all communications.
- Applicability date: STLDI notice provisions, including renewals and extensions, apply beginning on or after September 1, 2024.

Short-Term Health Insurance plans are not required to comply with Affordable Care Act (ACA) guidelines. ACA plans are required to provide certain levels of coverage—called minimum essential coverage. Short-term health plans are not required to meet the same standards. Short-term health insurance typically provides some level of coverage for preventive care, doctor visits, urgent care, and emergency care. There may also be coverage for prescriptions. Some plans also offer cost savings for seeing in-network providers. The process of choosing your health insurance is daunting and complicated, but that’s why we’re here1 We’re able to explain the “exclusions and limitations” information before buying any plan to help educate you as to what is covered and not covered by each plan.

How much does Short-Term Health Insurance cost?

If you’re considering temporary health insurance, typical upfront costs include:

Premium: This is the monthly fee you pay for having coverage. The premium will vary depending on the level of coverage you choose, including deductible and coinsurance, as well as the types of services covered.
Deductible: The deductibles on short-term health plans can be significantly higher than other more traditional health plans. You pay out of pocket for services until you meet your deductible. Then your plan starts sharing costs.
Coinsurance: This is the percentage of costs you share with your plan after you meet your deductible. It’s often shown as a percentage. Most short-term plans have a deductible and coinsurance.
Copay: This is a fee you may have to pay when you visit a doctor; usually payable at the time of the visit. Some short-term plans require you to pay a copay for certain doctor visits.
Other out-of-pocket costs: If there are health care services not covered by your short-term plan, there is a chance you may be responsible for the costs. For example, some short-term plans may not cover or may limit your coverage for maternity care, mental health or substance use services, vision care, or dental care—these are costs you’d have to pay yourself for any services you receive.

Other costs may apply depending on what type of coverage you buy. The great news is our expert agents at Florida Healthcare Insurance are able to help determine your costs and see if you qualify for any subsidies to lower your costs down.

What are the pros and cons to Short-Term Health Insurance?

If you’re considering whether a short-term health insurance plan is right for you, here are some pros and cons: Pros:

Designed to fill short-term gaps in coverage should you need it
You can cancel coverage whenever you’d like without penalties
You can typically choose a plan that covers you up to a year, if needed
Many different plan designs are available, depending on insurance carrier

Cons:

Significantly higher deductibles than traditional health plans with other possible unforeseen costs
No coverage for pre-existing conditions and limited coverage for most services
A medical questionnaire may be required to be approved for coverage
Coverage is not mandated or standard, so plans vary greatly in covered services and costs with very little government oversight

Short-term health plans vs. ACA health plans

Short-term plans were created to help fill temporary gaps in coverage that can occur in certain situations. These types of plans are typically not good substitutes for traditional health plans. They do not have to adhere to ACA standards. They provide limited benefits with generally much higher costs. ACA health plans, on the other hand, must provide certain types of coverage as mandated by the government. They must offer coverage for essential health benefits like maternity and preventive care at 100%, mental health and substance use benefits, and more. Before you decide to purchase a short-term health plan, give us a call! We will ensure you fully understand what types of care and services are covered and not covered and make your insurance buying process easy and stress free.

Do short-term health insurance plans cover pre-existing conditions?

Short-term health plans are not a part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), so they do not need to comply with those standards. That means pre-existing conditions are not covered in a short-term or temporary health plan. You can be denied coverage for a medical issue you’ve previously been treated for.

How do I know if Short-Term Health Insurance is a good idea for me?

Short-term health insurance may not be ideal for the long term. But there are some situations in which you may need temporary coverage and a short-term health plan may provide it:

You missed open enrollment for a traditional health plan
You lost or left your job
You turned 26 and just transitioned off your parents’ health plan

Is a short-term health plan a good idea for you? As a first step, we recommend you call and speak to one of our expert agents. We will go over and anticipate your upcoming health needs. Would costs for care be lower with a short-term plan than without? Explore plans available to you. Duration, types of benefits, and even costs can vary widely between insurance companies that offer these plans. Plans may also vary depending on the state you live in due to state regulations.

How do you buy a short-term health insurance plan?

Short-term health plans are sold through private insurance companies. Not all companies offer this type of plan. These plans are not available through the Health Insurance Marketplace and do not conform to Affordable Care Act (ACA) guidelines. To buy a short term medical plan, you can search for a private insurance company that offers them. Make sure to read all details before you buy or enroll. These plans can vary greatly in cost and coverage.

An important note about Short term Health Insurance plans is that they are temporary health insurance plans, with limited benefits and because they are not ACA-compliant, they don’t cover pre-existing conditions, and essential health benefits and are not guaranteed issue.

In addition, you cannot be denied coverage based on your health status.

If you have pre-existing medical conditions short-term medical insurance should not be for you.

Short-term plans may be an ideal solution for you if you have a:

- Change in Employment
  - If you’ve been laid off, or lost your job, you are able to get coverage while in between jobs and employee benefits. Some employer-sponsored coverage need a qualifying life event to enroll mid-year. Short-term plans do not require this. These health plans offer health insurance options that you can pick up year-round.
- ACA Marketplace
  - If you have coverage through the Marketplace, you may be able to fill in the gap of our medical coverage with a short-term health insurance plan. ACA Health Plans are great with coverage for emergency services, doctor visits, preventive care, emergency care, and more. Short-term plans are meant to fill in the gaps before a long-term health insurance plan can be achieved.
- Special Activities
  - If you need to show proof of insurance, short term health insurance coverage may be a quick and affordable solution for you. The Golden Rule Insurance company specializes in the temporary health insurance field. They even include prescription drug coverage making it tops for health insurance coverage.
- Coverage Before Medicare
  - If you are waiting for your Medicare coverage period to begin and have a gap of benefits that leaves you uncovered, a short term plan can offer a great amount of protection for a limited amount of time. This will make sure you don’t have a coverage gap until your Medicare Health Plans start. Short Term Insurance will provide an outstanding health coverage while waiting for your Medicare health coverage to begin. With the prices about 30% of an affordable care act plan you will be able to afford major medical insurance/ short term health insurance.

In addition, they offer:

Affordable Rates
- Compared to other health insurance plans, short term health insurance can have low, affordable monthly premiums. This is due to the fact that short term health insurance offer health insurance that provides temporary coverage and not minimum essential coverage. In addition things such as preexisting medical conditions and federal market requirements do not have to be met with short term health plans. While short term health insurance plans may be cheaper most have a limit on out of pocket costs. Short Term insurance/ Short Term Health Insurance is great when you want protection for a specific term health.
PPO Plans
- Unlike the Marketplace, Short Term Health Insurance plans are usually PPO, which opens up your coverage span, especially if you are a travel nurse or a truck driver. You can rest easy knowing your insurance would be covered in even more locations than with an ACA plan. If you are a travel nurse short term health insurance provides excellent health coverage across the United States. In over 36 states the Golden Rule Insurance Company is our recommendation for your short term insurance needs. With a PPO health plan you have access to a wide selection of in network providers that specialize in preventive care and other medical needs.
Fast Coverage Approval
- Applicants are generally approved quickly and can receive proof of insurance fast, sometimes on the spot. This is vital if you need prescription drugs or health insurance coverage to start quickly. Again just a reminder that short term insurance does not provide minimum essential coverage and limited prescription coverage. Short term health insurance is great if you need coverage fast and can’t wait 30 days or longer. If you missed open enrollment do no worry. Short term health insurance provide coverage quickly and easy by using association group insurance.
Flexible Terms
- Individuals may choose Short term health insurance plan coverage for any period from 30 days all the way up to 36 months. The beauty is that short term health insurance is a temporary health insurance plan. You can cancel your short term insurance at any time. In addition, short term health insurance plans do not have an open enrollment period. This means you can get temporary health insurance plans year-round. So don’t worry if you missed your open enrollment period. Short term health is the solution for your temporary coverage needs.
Peace of Mind
- Knowing that you and your family are covered during a gap or intermediate time with a short term health insurance plan offers you a peace of mind. Again we want to be good for your mental health as well. Short term health insurance for one month up to three years provides this peace of mind. Health care coverage needs to be with you when you need it the most. Short term plans accomplish this while providing an affordable health plan.

If you think a Short term health insurance plan may be the right solution for you and/or your family, give us a call today! We are happy to speak with you about your health insurance needs and guarantee you the best coverage with an A Rated Insurance Company at affordable rates!

Don’t put off finding the right short-term insurance plan for your needs. In doing so, you may experience a gap in coverage and put your health at risk. Instead, give our expert team a call today. We’ll listen to your needs and concerns to start on the best course of action for getting you covered.

Since 2002, you and your family have trusted our family to provide you with the best-in-class health insurance at affordable rates. That’s because our dedicated, knowledgeable, and award-winning team offers you a personalized experience, delivering quality plans in minutes, with services you can count on. From our office in the Coral Springs/Parkland area, we serve South Florida and beyond!

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