Can I Get Another Short-Term Health Plan When the First One Ends?

An increasing number of people are turning to short-term health insurance as an alternative to Obamacare.
It makes sense because these plans are usually a lot cheaper and still provide good catastrophic insurance coverage, which is the main point.
But how long can you do this?

How Many Short-Term Health Plans Can You Use

Most short-term policies limit the number of consecutive policies you can purchase.
HCC, the plan most of our clients prefer, allows you to re-purchase a short-term health insurance plan once. When the second plan expires, you have to wait 12 months before you’re eligible to purchase another HCC short-term health plan.
(Note: There are slight variations to the rule in certain states. North Carolina requires a 6-month wait between plans).
Since HCC allows you to purchase coverage for up to 11 months, this will give allow you to remain covered for a long time.

What Happens After the Second Short-Term Policy Ends?

There’s a pretty basic solution if you’ve maxed out your short-term health insurance plan: Get another one.
In other words, if you’ve arrived at the end of your second HCC short-term plan, we can simply help you buy a plan from another company (like this one).
We have some clients that have chosen to simply maintain short-term health insurance rather than go into the Obamacare system. They’ve decided that the benefits of short-term coverage outweigh the drawbacks.
In theory, you can do this for the foreseeable future unless…

What’s the Catch?

There’s just one thing to keep in mind. Because short-term health insurance plans still involve a little bit of medical underwriting, you could have a problem getting another plan if you’ve had a chance in your health or medical history that makes you ineligible for coverage.
What if that happens? What if you develop a significant illness or have a major medical event?
Hopefully, your short-term health plan will last you until the end of the year. When the Obamacare open enrollment period opens, we’ll help you get a plan there. Because there is no medical underwriting, you’ll get the same coverage and prices as you would if you were perfectly healthy.

Questions About Short-Term Health Insurance?

If you have questions or want to talk about your specific needs and situations, contact us today.