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Short-Term Medical
Temporary bridge coverage
Temporary coverage to bridge a gap between plans. Fast to start, but not a substitute for comprehensive insurance.
How Short-Term Medical works
Short-term medical plans provide limited, temporary coverage designed to bridge a gap of a few months: between jobs, while waiting for an employer plan's waiting period to end, or before Medicare begins. They can often start within days and cost less per month than comprehensive coverage. The trade-offs are significant and you should understand them clearly before choosing this route: short-term plans are not required to comply with the Affordable Care Act, which means they may exclude pre-existing conditions, may not cover maternity care, mental health services or prescription drugs, and may impose dollar limits on benefits. They also do not qualify you for premium tax credits. Availability and maximum duration are set by state law and vary widely. If you are eligible for a subsidised Marketplace plan, that is almost always the better option.
Questions
Short-Term Medical: common questions
Does short-term insurance cover pre-existing conditions?
Usually not. Short-term plans are not bound by ACA protections, so they commonly exclude pre-existing conditions and may deny claims related to them. If you have ongoing health needs, a Marketplace plan is very likely the better choice.
Does a short-term plan count as minimum essential coverage?
No. Short-term medical is not minimum essential coverage, does not qualify you for premium tax credits, and losing it does not create a Special Enrollment Period.
Not sure which plan is right for you?
That’s the normal starting point. Tell a licensed agent what matters to you (your doctors, your prescriptions, your budget) and they’ll narrow it down. No cost, no obligation.
When we’re available
- Monday – Friday
- 07:00 – 20:00
- Saturday
- 08:00 – 18:00
- Sunday
- 09:00 – 17:00
Outside these hours, submit a quote request and an agent will call you back on the next business day. TTY users dial 711.
Other options
Related coverage you may also need
Most people combine a primary plan with one or two add-ons.
Important information
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or consult your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
InsuranceQuoteBase LLC is a private entity and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. government, the federal Medicare program, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), or the Health Insurance Marketplace.