Finding Temporary Health Insurance
The day comes that you lose your job and, along with it, you and perhaps your family also lose your medical insurance plan. Luckily, temporary medical insurance is one thing which can keep you protected until you are able to secure a new job. A temporary medical insurance policy will cover your health care needs from the date on which you lose your employment until you become eligible for benefits from your new employer.
Where should you begin to look for a temporary medical insurance plan? Like a lot of people today, your first stop will probably be one of the internet search engines and these will provide you with a laundry list of directories. These directories will each give you a list of companies that offer temporary health insurance and even a handful which will explain precisely what it is. Knowing precisely what short term medical insurance is and, more importantly, what it is not will help you in shopping for the best policy and keep you from being scammed.
First, every state has its own brand of short term medical insurance policy to help you in holding onto the medical insurance from a previous employer. For instance, in Minnesota the plan is called a Cobra Plan and covers you until you get a new position. By the way, state law also states that an employer must tell you about your eligibility for Cobra coverage.
Commercial short term health insurance policies generally last for from one to twelve months, though a lot of providers limit their plans to six months, and will offer most of the benefits that are offered on their long term policies. The greatest difference you will find is that the policy is non-renewable and if you want to hang on to your coverage you will have to take out a further new policy. Remember however that this form of plan is only intended for temporary use and not for long term use.
A few things which will perhaps not be covered are wellness checks and preventative care and short term medical plans will also not normally provide cover for dental or optical care. Additionally, they are also often very strict when it comes to denying coverage for pre existing conditions. It is also normally possible to get cover extended to your dependents. Finally, you will find that the majority of plans will be priced from around $25 to $100 a month.
Keeping this in mind, you can begin to look through the results of your search and examine the lists of insurance companies to discover one which will meet your needs. You will find that many sites will let you get an individual health insurance quote online.
Another very good place to look for cover is to your present home or car insurance provider as it is likely that they will also have a medical insurance plan which you can get. And, if you are purchasing the policy through your existing insurance company, there might be an additional discount available for having more than one plan with them.
Lastly, remember that your local phone book might also list a number of places from which you can purchase short term health insurance cover in your area.
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