Temporary or Short-Term Health Insurance: The Fundamentals

  Temporary or Short-Term Health Insurance: The Fundamentals

There are several reasons you would look for a short-term health insurance. You may have just graduated college so you are no longer covered through your parent's policy. You may not have a job and be covered by an employer's insurance. You may have just lost or left your job and require a health insurance coverage until you secure a new job. You may have also just landed a job but it will be several months before you get health insurance coverage.

Whatever your situation is, having no health insurance even for a short period of few months can be very risky. If you are in this kind of a mess, temporary health insurance coverage will be of great assistance to you.

Temporary Health Insurance Coverage: What is it?

The name itself is pretty self-explanatory. A temporary health insurance policy covers you for a short period of time, anywhere between one to six months. However, longer period variants of health insurance are also available at times. If you require a longer health insurance coverage, some of these temporary policies can be extended, but a traditional health insurance plan is more beneficial in such cases.

Features of a Temporary Health Insurance Plan

Most of the medical conditions that the traditional policies cover are also covered by the temporary health insurance, yet these significantly differ from them. Temporary health insurance plans are a lot stricter regarding indemnity plans. Diagnostic and preventive treatments like check ups, dental and optical check up are not covered. Already existing medical conditions and work-related injuries are also not under the purview of a temporary health insurance policy.

Your temporary health insurance will give you coverage for any emergency conditions that you might suffer like prescription drugs, hospital and intensive care needs,X-rays and many times in home medical care too.

How to Get a Temporary Health Insurance

First of all, you need to get hold of an experienced health insurance agent. Decide beforehand regarding the period for which you will need the coverage and from when. Read the 'exclusion' clauses very carefully and don't hesitate to query and put forth your doubts. After you complete the application form, review it so as to ensure that every bit of information you have given is true. Keep a copy of all paperwork for your files.

Temporary health insurance cost varies depending on the kind of coverage you choose. Lower costs have a higher deductible 50/50 insurance option. Also do weigh some additional options. The prescription medicines are generally very costly, so it is better to go for getting them covered rather them not having insurance on it. Read the policy very carefully and weigh if the policy is worth the price you are going to pay.