| If you are between jobs or are awaiting | | | | |
| another health insurance policy to come into | | | | The main concern, and something you should be |
| effect you may find that you have a gap in | | | | aware of if you are considering a short term |
| your health insurance coverage. This period | | | | plan is that they will make you ineligible |
| is a high risk as you are effectively | | | | for guaranteed issue health plans. These |
| uninsured when it comes to health insurance. | | | | plans are most commonly referred to as HIPAA |
| So what are you to do in this interim period? | | | | plans. They can be very expensive and are |
| Well one of the best options in such | | | | used in cases where the insured has existing |
| situations is to consider taking out a | | | | medical conditions, which would otherwise |
| short-term health insurance policy. This will | | | | make it very difficult for you to obtain |
| cover you for a limited or fixed term. | | | | health insurance. If you think you will need |
| | | | eligibility for a HIPAA plan, you should not |
| Usually, short-term health insurance policies | | | | purchase short-term health insurance. The |
| last for periods of less than six months. | | | | Health Insurance Portability and |
| There are policies that will cover you for up | | | | Accountability Act or HIPAA, and state health |
| to twelve months also however. If you need | | | | insurance rights are important protections |
| coverage for periods longer than this, you | | | | and you should seek advice from a benefits |
| should probably be considering standard | | | | advisor in these regards. |
| individual or family health insurance plans. | | | | |
| | | | Are you covered? |
| Application is Simple | | | | |
| | | | Short-term health insurance plans will not |
| One of the benefits of short-term health | | | | cover existing medical conditions. While the |
| insurance is that the application process is | | | | exact definition depends on your |
| somewhat more straightforward. These policies | | | | circumstances and on state laws, what this |
| are really designed to cover unforeseen | | | | means is that if you have been diagnosed in |
| accidents and other emergency situations and | | | | the last three to five years or have been |
| are not recommended for comprehensive health | | | | receiving treatment for a condition, it will |
| protection. They will therefore generally not | | | | be a pre-existing condition and you will not |
| cover such advanced features as preventive | | | | get coverage for it under your short term |
| treatments, physical and diagnostic tests, | | | | plan. Therefore, if this applies to you, it |
| immunizations, dental and vision expenses | | | | is recommended that you extend your current |
| which you should try to avoid for the period | | | | comprehensive policy rather than switch to a |
| under which you are covered by the short term | | | | short-term plan. |
| plan. | | | | |