How Difficult Is It To Qualify For Temporary Health Insurance?

The need for temporary health insurance (also referred to as short term health insurance) can arise for a variety of reasons: between jobs, on strike, seasonal employee, etc.  In any case, you may be surprised that it is easier to qualify for such a plan than it is for the traditional longer term, or permanent, plan.

The primary reason that temporary health insurance is easier to qualify for than permanent health insurance has to do with the amount of risk that an insurance company assumes. With a short term plan, the insurance company is not accepting a long term risk.  This is different, of course, from permanent health insurance, where an individual potentially can remain on the same policy until he or she is eligible for Medicare at age 65.

The application process is also typically simpler for a temporary health insurance plan.  Just a few questions are required to determine eligibility. Some of the more common questions would ask about any currently held policies and when they are scheduled to end, any current pregnancy, have you been declined for health insurance in the past, and any medical conditions you have been treated for in the past (e.g. cancer, diabetes, heart problems, stroke, blood disorders, history of alcohol or drug dependency, HIV, etc.).

Temporary health plans generally do not cover preexisting conditions, which is another reason they are easier to come by.  You may still be eligible for one of these plans, but will likely not receive any benefits for treatment of your preexisting condition.  As a result, the underwriting process for temporary health insurance is also much shorter than it is for permanent plans.  In most cases, if you qualify, you can expect coverage to begin within 24 hours of applying.

Many may start their search for temporary coverage by simply looking for cheap temporary health insurance.  This may be a mistake, especially when shopping for something as important as health insurance for your family.  A better way to approach this issue would be to start the process be shopping for affordable, or low cost, short term health insurance. 

Lastly, even though it is easier to qualify for temporary health insurance, it’s usually advisable to think of such insurance as only a “stop gap” solution to get you by until you are eligible for a better, longer term plan.  Althiugh the coverage is less comprehensive, being without any coverage is risky.  Given the ease with which you can receive a short term policy, there really is no reason not to protect yourself and you family.

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