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If you ask most people to explain short-term medical insurance, there is a good chance that they have never heard of it. Starting January, 2014 short-term medical insurance may become more popular as the price of health insurance increases. Rising costs are inevitable because more sick people will utilize existing resources for adequate care.

What Is Short-Term Medical?

Short-term medical allows someone to have health care coverage for a short period of time (30 to 180 days.) However, in California, an individual may reapply indefinitely, provided they continue to qualify. In some cases, short-term medical could decrease your health insurance costs by up to 40%. Since most people are not familiar with short-term medical insurance, it’s important to know if you are eligible to have short-term medical.

What Are The Eligibility Criteria For Short-Term Medical?

If you can answer “no” to these questions below, there is an excellent chance that you will be eligible for short-term medical insurance.

1.Do you or any proposed applicant have any other insurance policy (group, major medical, government, or other) that will be in force on this policy’s effective date?

2.Are you or any of the proposed applicants now pregnant or an expectant father?

3.Has any person proposed for coverage been declined for health insurance in the past 12 months?

4.Have you or any proposed applicant received treatment, medication, medical and/or surgical advice, and/or been diagnosed with: cancer or tumor, stroke, heart disease including heart attack, chest pain, asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or emphysema, liver disorder, degenerative disc disease or herniation/bulge, rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative joint disease of the knee, diabetes, chronic renal failure, alcohol abuse, chemical dependency, or diseases of a mental nervous nature within the past 5 years?

5.Have you or any proposed applicant been diagnosed or treated for AIDS, AIDS-related complex, or any other immune system disorder, except HIV infection?

What about people who lie on their application?

While this is not an absolute statement, but most short term medical insurance carriers are not in the business of determining eligibility. Rather, they are in the business of collecting money from lots of people in order to pay out large claims to a few individuals. If an individual decides to file a claim, but the claim is somehow traced to any of the disqualifying questions above, the insurance company has the right not to pay for the medical claim. Therefore, it is in one’s best interest to complete an application untruthfully.

What if I previously had one of the conditions listed above?

Depending on the carrier, if you have lived symptom-free for five years, then you do not have to answer “yes” to any of the questions. For example, if you have been cancer-free and haven’t taken any medication for five years and one day, then question 4 above no longer pertains to you. Depending on your resident state, some carriers only require a two-year symptom-free period.

Which doctors can I visit?

In the event that you need to visit a doctor, there are virtually no limits on the doctor you can visit. Unless you would like to change doctors, short-term medical will cover your same medical needs with your existing physician. It is important to note that if a condition manifests during your coverage period, you will only be responsible for your deductible and copayment if they apply. However, once that specified coverage period ends, you will be responsible for the entire medical bill, and will most likely forfeit your eligibility for short term medical insurance on your next application.

Overall, if you are healthy and you want the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing that you are covered, you may consider short-term medical. It may be a cost-effective way to take care of you and your family.

If you reside in the Greater Los Angeles and Southern CA area, please don’t hesitate to contact me with your short-term medical insurance questions. I can help you to best determine if short-term medical is a good fit for you. My contact details are below…