Short Term Medical Insurance

fast, affordable and reliable

Young Adult Education Series

Primer on Health Insurance Shopping


Suddenly it becomes necessary to find and pay for your own health insurance. This is usually not a welcome situation, but most of us find ourselves in this position about six times over our adult lives. Changing jobs, graduating from high school or college, moving to another state, starting our own business, or going through a divorce are all common life situations that require us to get involved in shopping for our own health insurance for at least a short period of time. We need coverage that is affordable and reliable and it would be great if the shopping process was easy.

These four quick points address the most common concerns young adults have about health insurance and may help make the shopping easier and the enrollment process less stressful:

1 - Most of us need insurance for a year or less before the next group insurance becomes available like an employer plan or association coverage. Short term major medical insurance is ideal for this situation because it is inexpensive, fast and easy, saving us time and money. In most cases short term coverage can be extended for several years if necessary.

2- There are two types of health insurance most commonly purchased by individuals. "Major medical insurance" covers the big financial risks but usually does not help with small routine items like doctor's visits because of a substantial policy deductible. Major medical insurance is either "short term", as mentioned above, or "renewable" to extend without a foreseen end. The second type is "supplemental insurance" that helps pay for common things like doctor's visits and lab tests but leaves big expensive procedures uncovered. Ideally it is best to have both types of coverage.  Young adults are often tempted to buy only supplemental insurance, ignoring the larger financial risks. If there is a choice between one or the other, choose the major medical insurance and be sure that the biggest risks are covered.

3 - Individual major medical insurance does not cover maternity or the cost of ongoing treatment for pre-existing medical conditions. If this is a big issue for you then be prepared to choose from among the four "bad news" options: a) enroll in much more expensive COBRA type insurance coverage that is not available online, b) postpone medical  treatments and prescription refills until the next group insurance plan is in force, or c) use supplemental insurance only and/or d) pay these costs out-of-pocket. There are no insurance companies who volunteer to cover the cost of a surgery that you already know you need next month or a delivery of a baby a few months from now. This may not be welcome news, but this is the way it is in most states. In all but the most serious medical situations, it makes financial sense for most young adults to buy less expensive medical insurance and make other arrangements to cover the pre-existing condition on a short term basis.

4 - All of the insurance companies listed on this Web site offer secure and reliable online registration and satisfactory member support. If you are not happy with the policy for any reason, you can cancel the coverage within ten days for a full refund.