• Short Term Health Insurance Blog

  • Saturday, February 04, 2012

Finding that first job right out of college can be a difficult task. While some majors often lead to a more direct professional opportunity than others, the truth is that in today's economy no one has an easy time finding work. Without a job, you will also be without benefits, and that can lead to some difficult financial problems. Short term medical insurance is a great way for students to protect their finances while they seek a new job.

Since most people rely on group healthcare plans provided by employers to solve their insurance needs, not having a job can be a real problem. The cost of visiting a doctor or having a serious medical problem treated without medical insurance can be astronomical. For recent graduates that burden is especially difficult because they do not yet have any savings built up to provide for emergency expenses.

Short term health insurance provides a cost-effective way for these people to make sure they can get the medical care they need without incurring huge debt. Short term coverage will absorb the majority of your medical costs, leaving you to pay only a small amount.

Students can buy coverage for small increments of time, so they do not need to worry about being having their short term plan overlap with one provided by a new employer. After all, who wants to pay for two sets of coverage? It is this sort of flexibility that makes this insurance a great value for recent graduates.
Two of the hottest topics in U.S. politics continue to be unemployment and healthcare. With the unemployment rate hovering around 10% for much of the past 2 years, and most U.S. Workers relying on jobs to provide their health insurance, the need for alternative solutions like short term health insurance is greater than ever.

For most Americans, healthcare is purchased through a group health plan provided by their employer. So when someone loses their job, he or she loses their healthcare benefits as well. This can be a devastating loss for individuals and families alike. Thankfully, short term health insurance exists to help out in these situations.

Short term health insurance provides affordable insurance to people who do not have jobs. The insurance itself is of comparable quality to that you would receive from a group provider, so you will not have to worry that your family will receive anything less than the best treatment.

And since your employment situation can pick up at any time, you only have to buy short term coverage for the length of time you actually need it. So if you only need coverage for a month, you can buy it for a month. This way, you are not stuck paying for a group plan and a short term plan if you are able to quickly find work. This is another reason short term care makes so much sense for unemployed people.


The short term health insurance plan offered by Assurant offers good benefits for gaps in health coverage. If you are looking for temporary health insurance to tide you over an uninsured period in your life, the Assurant plan may be a good choice.

The plan covers doctor visits, hospitalization and consultation, emergency room care, emergency services, and diagnostic tests, among other benefits. The plan comes with a lifetime maximum benefit of $2 million. There are also three choices of deductibles.

However, the temporary insurance plan from Assurant does not cover pre-existing conditions. It also does not cover routine care and examinations, vision and dental care. Other exclusions of the plan include maternity and fertility treatment. Even if your condition requires you to hire a private nurse, the expenses are not covered by the plan. Unlike student health insurance plans, mental health is not covered under the Assurant plan.

A complete list of exclusions and benefits can be accessed in the Assurant STM plan policy document. It is very important to read the details of coverage. It is also a good idea to ask any specific questions you might have about coverage before signing on to the plan. As always, remember that short term plans are only meant to be temporary, and cannot replace long-term insurance.


One of the questions you need to ask yourself when you are considering short term health insurance is this: What are my reasons for getting short term health insurance? In many cases, temporary insurance is seen as a COBRA insurance alternative.

Typically, when you are laid off from your job, you are given the option of continuing your current health insurance plan under COBRA coverage, for a maximum period of 18 months. With the recent downturn in the economy, this COBRA insurance is heavily subsidized. However, with the economy showing signs of recovery, the subsidy may not last long.

Also, COBRA insurance comes with its own set of stringent rules. In this case, short term health insurance is a great alternative, and offers coverage at a much lower rate. The only thing to look for is that the short term health insurance plan that you do purchase counts toward creditable coverage.

If you do purchase short term health insurance, consider the duration of the plan: How long do you want insurance for? If it is only for a few months, then purchasing a short term plan for around three months may make a lot of sense. However, always remember that short term health insurance cannot replace long-term health insurance, and you must move over to more permanent coverage when possible.


Short term health insurance is often seen as an affordable COBRA insurance alternative. It is also a good idea for anyone who does not currently have insurance, and is expecting long-term coverage shortly. There are several short term health insurance plans in the market, and while most of them offer similar coverage, the specifics may vary.

The short term health insurance plan from HCC is an affordable plan with basic health insurance cover. The plan covers medical care for sudden illnesses, and does not include pre-existing conditions. To be eligible for the plan, the applicant must not be over 64 years of age. The applicant must also not be pregnant or an expectant father. Those planning to adopt are also not eligible for coverage.

The applicant must also not be a member of the armed forces of the country. The applicant must also give satisfactory responses to the medical questions on the form. The form can be submitted online, by mail, or by fax.

Apart from coverage for unplanned medical care, one other clause of the HCC Life Short Term Medical plan is the “Urgent Care Center” plan, which specifies that the deductible is waived when you receive care at an urgent care center. Instead of the deductible, however, the plan holder pays a $50 co-payment.


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