Purchasing Temporary Health Insurance

The day comes that you lose your employment and, at the same time, you also lose your health insurance plan. Luckily, temporary medical insurance is one thing which can keep you protected until you are able to get a new job. A temporary medical insurance policy will cover your health care requirements from the time you lose your employment until you are eligible for benefits from your new employer.

But just where do you begin to look for a short term health insurance plan?  Like many people today, your first stop will possibly be one of the internet search engines and these will provide you with a laundry list of directories. These directories each give you a list of insurers which offer temporary health insurance and even a few that will explain precisely what it is. Knowing exactly what short term health insurance is and, equally important, what it is not is going to assist you in shopping for the right plan and will stop you from being scammed.

First, every state has its own brand of short term medical insurance plan to assist you in holding onto the health insurance from a previous employer. For instance, in Minnesota it is called a Cobra Plan and gives you cover until you get a new position. Incidentally, state law also requires your employer to notify you of your eligibility for Cobra coverage.

Commercial short term medical insurance plans usually last for from one month to a year, though many insurance companies limit their plans to six months, and will provide the majority of the same benefits that are offered on their long term policies. The biggest difference that you will see is that the plan is non-renewable and if you want to keep your coverage you will have to arrange a further new plan. Do not forget however that this sort of plan is intended only for temporary use and not for long term use.

A few things that will most likely not be covered are wellness checks and preventative care and short term medical plans will also not generally provide cover for optical or dental care. They are also often very strict when it comes to denying coverage for pre existing conditions. It is also generally possible to get coverage extended to your spouse and children. Finally, you will find that the majority of policies will be priced from about $25 to $100 a month.

Keeping this in mind, you can begin to look through your search results and examine the lists of insurers to locate one which will meet your needs. In doing so you will find that many websites will let you get an individual health insurance quote online.

Yet another excellent place to look for cover is to your present home or car insurance provider as it is likely that they will also have a health insurance plan that you can get. If you are getting the policy through your present insurance company, there might be a discount available for having more than one plan with them.

Finally, do not forget that your local phone book might also list several places for you to get temporary health insurance cover in your area.