Q: What is a short-term health insurance plan?

Short Term Medical covers a person for a limited period of time. Typically, short-term plans offer coverage up to six months, although carriers in some states offer plans with coverage up to 12 months with certain plans being renewable up to 36 months. (Note: to determine the maximum coverage length for a particular plan, simply look in the "Max Duration" column on the previous page.) If you think you'll need coverage for a longer period of time, you may want to look at a standard, longer- term health insurance option.

Short Term Medical does not cover pre-existing conditions. It is designed to protect against the unforeseen. If pre-existing conditions were covered under Short Term Medical policies, people could just wait until they were diagnosed with an illness or suffered an injury, buy a policy to cover the treatment, then drop it. The cost of such policies would be prohibitive. Because Short Term Medical is designed to cover the unexpected, it also does not include coverage for preventive care, physicals, immunizations, dental or eye care.

The definition of a pre-existing condition varies by state, but in general, Short Term Medical excludes conditions that have been diagnosed or treated within the previous 3 to 5 years. If you have an existing medical condition, you may want to see if extending your current insurance to fill a gap in coverage is an option. Employer-sponsored insurance can be extended under a government-regulated option called COBRA.

Note: You should NOT purchase a short-term plan if your most recent coverage is under a group sponsored COBRA eligible insurance plan. Doing so will make you ineligible for any guaranteed issue individual health plan commonly referred to as HIPAA Plans. Please consult your benefits advisor to discuss your rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other rights under state law.

Q: Why would I want coverage for a limited amount of time?

If you are between jobs, waiting for coverage from another health plan to start, laid off, on strike, a recent college graduate or seasonal employee and know that you only need coverage for a specific period of time, short-term health insurance may be right for you.

Q: What happens when I reach the end of my coverage period?

At the end of your coverage term, most insurance companies allow you to re-apply for another short-term plan. But, in most cases this new plan is not an automatic continuation of the first plan. Also, some short-term plans only allow you to re-apply once.

Q: What if I only need coverage for less than 30 days?

Most short-term plans have a minimum coverage period of 30 days. Even if you need coverage for less than 30 days, you can still purchase a 30 day plan.

Q: How soon can coverage start?

Coverage for most short-term plans can start as soon as 24 hours after the application is submitted. Coverage must begin within 30 days after the application is submitted.

Q: What do I need to do to have coverage start immediately?

Simply tell us how soon you would like coverage to start, select the short-term plan that meets your needs, and then apply on-line. In order for coverage to start immediately, you will need to make your first premium payment by supplying a valid credit card number within your application. (Our site privacy policy has been approved by Truste, and our security policies have been approved by Verisign.)

Q: How will I know if I qualify for short-term coverage?

As soon as you complete your application, we will tell you whether or not you qualify for short-term coverage.

Q: If I don't qualify for short-term coverage, will my credit card still get charged?

No. Your credit card will only be charged if you qualify for short-term coverage.

Q: Do short-term plans include a dental and vision benefit?

No. Short-term plans are designed to protect you in the event of an illness or injury and are not meant to cover dental and vision care. Short-term plans are for temporary coverage only and therefore do not include some of the benefits a permanent heath plan offers.

Q: What do I do if I get a standard, longer-term policy at a future date?

Once you receive written confirmation that the health insurance company you selected approved your application for a standard health insurance policy, you must contact the insurance company that issued your short-term policy and cancel the short-term policy.

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