Between jobs
You left a job or lost employer coverage and need a plan to hold you over until the next one starts.
Short-Term Health Insurance
Short-term health insurance to bridge a gap.
Temporary coverage for the stretch between jobs, plans, or life changes. Coverage can start fast. A licensed Plansure broker explains the trade-offs before you decide.
Or call a Plansure broker at (817) 632-5155Short-term health insurance is temporary, limited coverage for a gap in permanent coverage. It is built to protect you from large, unexpected medical bills while you wait for a job, an ACA plan, or Medicare to begin. It is not a replacement for ACA major medical, and it works differently. Here is how it works and who it fits.
Carrier names and logos are the property of their respective owners. Plansure is an independent broker, not a carrier.
Who it's for
Who is short-term health insurance for?
Short-term coverage is built for people in a transition who need protection now and a permanent plan later.
Missed Open Enrollment
The ACA enrollment window closed and you don't have a qualifying life event for a Special Enrollment Period.
New grad or aging off a plan
You aged off a parent's plan at 26, graduated, or moved off school coverage and need something now.
Waiting for coverage to start
You're waiting for a new plan, COBRA, or Medicare to begin and want to avoid a gap in the meantime.
How it works
How short-term coverage works.
Short-term plans give you temporary protection during a lapse in permanent coverage. You pick a term, you get covered fast, and you know going in what the plan does and does not include.
Fast effective dates
Short-term coverage can often start the day after you're approved, which matters when you've lost a plan and don't want a gap.
You choose the term
Pick a coverage length that fits your gap. Maximum terms and renewals vary by state, and we match the longest plan you qualify for.
It bridges a gap
Short-term medical is built for temporary protection against large, unexpected bills, not as a permanent replacement for ACA coverage.
Know what it skips
These plans are medically underwritten and skip some ACA requirements. We tell you exactly what a plan does and does not cover before you apply.
Honest comparison
Short-term medical vs ACA major medical.
The two plans solve different problems. This is the straight comparison so you can see the trade-offs before you choose.
The honest pros and cons
The real trade-offs of short-term coverage.
Where short-term works
- Coverage can start fast, often the day after approval.
- You choose a term that fits your gap instead of a full plan year.
- For a healthy person, premiums are often lower than continuing employer coverage through COBRA.
- Plans typically use PPO-style networks, so you can often keep your providers.
Where it falls short
- It is not minimum essential coverage and does not satisfy ACA requirements.
- Pre-existing conditions may be excluded, surcharged, or grounds for a decline.
- Benefits are limited. Prescriptions, preventive care, maternity, and mental health may not be covered.
- Terms and renewals are capped, and short-term plans are not available in every state.
Short-term FAQs
Questions most clients ask.
- Often the day after you're approved. Many short-term applications are decided quickly once you complete the health questions. A Plansure broker confirms the exact effective date before you sign anything.
- It depends on your state. Federal and state rules cap the initial term and any renewals, and the limits vary by state. We quote you the longest term you qualify for where you live.
- Usually not. Short-term plans are medically underwritten, so a pre-existing condition can be excluded, cost more, or lead to a decline. We tell you what a carrier will actually approve before you apply, so there is no surprise.
- Often only in a limited way, if at all. Short-term plans are not required to cover the ACA essential health benefits, so prescription, preventive, maternity, and mental health coverage may be limited or excluded. We review each plan's benefits with you.
- No. Short-term medical is not minimum essential coverage under the Affordable Care Act and is not subject to the same requirements as ACA marketplace plans. If you qualify for an ACA plan or a subsidy, we will tell you, because that is often the better fit.
- COBRA continues your exact employer plan, including pre-existing condition coverage, but you pay the full premium yourself, which is often expensive. Short-term medical is a separate temporary policy that usually costs less but covers fewer benefits. We walk through both so you can compare.
- Anyone who needs ongoing care for a pre-existing condition, is pregnant or planning to be, takes regular prescriptions, or qualifies for an ACA subsidy is usually better served by major medical. We will tell you honestly if short-term is the wrong fit.
How fast can short-term coverage start?
How long can I keep a short-term plan?
Does short-term medical cover pre-existing conditions?
Does it cover prescriptions and preventive care?
Is short-term medical the same as ACA coverage?
Short-term medical or COBRA?
Who should not buy a short-term plan?
See what short-term coverage looks like for you.
Answer a few quick questions and a licensed Plansure broker walks you through your options, including whether an ACA plan would fit you better.
Carrier names and logos are the property of their respective owners. Plansure is an independent broker, not a carrier.