Short-term health insurance
Between jobs or outside Open Enrollment? Temporary coverage can bridge the gap.
What a plan includes
Short-term plans are a safety net for the unexpected, not a replacement for full coverage. Here is where they help and where they do not.
Covered
- EmergenciesEmergency room visits for a sudden illness or injury are generally included.
- Hospital admissionInpatient care after an unexpected illness or accident is usually covered up to the plan's limits.
- Large medical billsThe goal is to protect your savings from a big bill while you are between plans.
Not covered
- Checkups and screeningsRoutine and preventive visits are usually left out.
- Ongoing treatmentMaternity care, mental health care and regular prescriptions are often excluded.
- Earlier conditionsHealth conditions that began before your start date are commonly excluded.Important: short-term coverage is not offered in every state and is not minimum essential coverage under the Affordable Care Act. A plan may exclude pre-existing conditions and may cap benefits per year or over your lifetime. Review the policy's exclusions and limits before you buy.Every policy is different, so read the benefits summary before you choose.
Weighing a short-term plan?
A licensed partner agent can help you compare.*
Short-term coverage, in plain words
Frequently asked questions
Who is a short-term plan right for?
People who need a temporary bridge.
That might be someone changing jobs, waiting for workplace coverage to begin, just out of school, or past the Open Enrollment deadline.
It suits people in good health who want protection against a big emergency. If you see doctors regularly or take ongoing medication, a Marketplace plan is usually a better match.
What is included, and what is left out?
These plans focus on large, unexpected costs: emergency visits, hospital stays and treatment for a new illness or injury. They are a backstop, not everyday coverage.
Commonly excluded: earlier health conditions, preventive care, maternity, mental health care and routine prescriptions.
Those exclusions are why the price is lower, so understand them fully before you enroll.
Why does short-term coverage cost less than a Marketplace plan?
It pays for fewer things. You are mainly buying protection against a large, unexpected bill.
Short-term plans do not have to include the essential health benefits that Marketplace plans must cover, and insurers can decline applicants based on health history.
If you need regular care or medication, the savings rarely make up for what is missing.
More questions? Browse every answer.
Every kind of coverage. One checkout.
Combine temporary health coverage with dental, vision or a protection plan in one place.
Health plans built around your year
Filter Marketplace plans by budget, doctors and prescriptions, and bring in a licensed partner agent whenever you want a second opinion.
- Narrow dozens of plans to the few that fit you.
- See your premium tax credit applied to every price.
- Compare deductibles and copays side by side.
