Everything you need to know about short-term health insurance

Short-term health insurance is generally cheaper than annual health insurance because there are significantly fewer conditions covered by these plans, and they’re charged based on a daily rate. If you’ve considered purchasing short-term health insurance in lieu of long-term insurance that typically allows you to renew each year, here’s what you should know before signing any forms:

Pre-existing conditions

The purpose of short-term health insurance is to cover an individual or family’s health expenses during a brief period of unexpected coverage gaps. Unfortunately, these types of insurance policies rarely cover treatments related to pre-existing conditions because those are considered to be long-term medical issues that cannot be adequately resolved with a short-term health plan.

If you have a pre-existing condition and need regular care for a medical concern, then a short-term health insurance plan might not be a good option for your situation.

Mental health coverage

Similar to the pre-existing condition exclusion, many short-term health insurance policies exclude mental health coverage because this is also viewed as a long-term concern. Many short-term policies last anywhere between 30 days to 12 months, but mental illness treatment, therapy and medications are possibly needed for much longer. If your primary reason for seeking out short-term insurance is to cover mental health related costs, then consider long-term health insurance for better access to the care you need at a price you can afford.

Maternity care

Short-term health insurance is not designed to help uninsured folks or people dealing with gaps in coverage pay for maternity-related costs like prenatal care, hospitalizations, newborn screenings and postpartum depression evaluations. However, there are several government programs available for pregnant women, so check the Department of Health and Human Services’ list of resources before researching short-term health insurance plans.

Travel insurance

Short-term health insurance is an excellent option for Americans traveling abroad and wanting to minimize medical costs if an emergency were to occur. Domestic health insurance plans typically do not cover medical expenses in other countries, so this type of short-term health insurance is ideal for international travelers. Just be careful about reading the fine print when it comes to what’s covered in what countries and up to how much. Some policies may even include side benefits like lost luggage insurance and trip cancellation coverage.