Under 65 ยท Private Health
Flexible private health plans in Arizona, Alabama, and Texas.
Flexible, lower-cost coverage you actually get to shape: the deductible, the benefit level, and how long it runs. It starts fast and bridges a gap. How long it can run depends on your state, and with some carriers we can re-set you into a fresh term while you stay healthy. We will tell you plainly if it is not your fit.
Video transcript
Short-term health insurance is exactly what it sounds like. It's temporary coverage designed to help you get through a gap until you have a long-term plan in place.
It can be a good option if you're between jobs, waiting for employer benefits to begin, or you missed open enrollment and don't qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
The biggest advantage is that coverage can often start quickly, and the monthly premiums are usually lower than a traditional major medical plan.
The tradeoff is that short-term plans are not ACA-compliant. They may not cover pre-existing conditions and often have benefit limits that comprehensive health plans don't.
For the right person in the right situation, short-term coverage can be a great bridge. Just remember, it's meant to be temporary, not a long-term solution.
Short-term medical is private health coverage that goes into effect fast, often within a day or two, usually at a lower premium than an ACA plan. It is not ACA-comprehensive coverage: it can exclude pre-existing conditions and leaves out some benefits ACA plans must cover, like maternity and mental health. That is the tradeoff, and our job is to match the right plan to your health and your timeline, and to tell you plainly when it is not your fit.
At a glance
- What it covers
- Private health coverage that starts in a day or two. Not ACA-comprehensive, so pre-existing conditions can be excluded.
- Who it fits
- A healthy person bridging a clean gap. It is a bridge, not a destination.
- How the cost works
- Usually a lower premium than an ACA plan. You pick the deductible, the maximum, and the term length.
- When you can enroll
- Any time. Once approved, coverage can start within a day or two. No enrollment window to wait for.
Who this kind of plan fits
It is built for people in motion who need solid coverage in place fast.
Who this fits
- Between jobs and waiting for benefits to kick in at a new employer.
- Self-employed or contracting, and shopping for a flexible option.
- Aged off a parent's plan and lining up your own coverage.
- Waiting on a start date for an employer or ACA Marketplace plan.
- Missed the enrollment window and need a stopgap until the next one opens.
Who it does not fit
- You have ongoing care needs. An ACA Marketplace plan is usually the better fit, and we will tell you so.
- You need a pre-existing condition covered now. A pre-existing condition clause applies, often for the first year.
- You need guaranteed renewal. These plans are medically underwritten, so a major health event can mean the next plan costs more or is not offered.
- Your state does not allow it, or not for as long. Arizona, Alabama, and Texas all allow short-term coverage, but the permitted length differs by state and can change with federal rules; some states, including California, have banned it.
It is a bridge, not a destination.
You are in control: shape it, and make it last
Short-term is the rare plan you actually get to build around your life, and that same flexibility can turn it into a multi-year solution.
Most coverage comes exactly the way the carrier built it. Short-term is different. You choose the deductible, the benefit level, and how long the term runs, so the plan bends to your situation instead of the other way around.
That control is also what lets it work as more than a few-month stopgap. With some carriers you can lock your rate for up to three years where your state allows it, so your premium does not climb every year the way Marketplace plans can. The strategy is simple: before your term ends, and as long as you have stayed healthy, we re-set you into a fresh plan so your coverage keeps going. For the right person that removes the scramble to re-enroll every fall.
- You pick the pieces: deductible, benefit maximum, and how long the term runs
- A rate lock of up to three years with some carriers, where your state allows it, so your cost does not jump every year
- We track your renewal date and re-set the plan ahead of time, so your coverage does not lapse
- Availability and maximum length depend on your state. Arizona, Alabama, and Texas all allow short-term coverage, but the maximum term differs sharply between them; some states, including California, have banned it outright
Built for a real medical event
The strong plans carry serious benefit maximums and hold up in a real emergency.
On the Allstate Health Solutions contracts we place, benefit maximums reach as high as about $5 million. A high maximum is only one part of the picture: what decides whether a short-term plan protects you in a serious event is the pre-existing condition exclusion and the benefit schedule, and we walk you through both before you enroll.
The catch is that quality varies a lot from carrier to carrier and from state to state. The plan you end up in matters far more than the category, which is why having someone compare the field for you is the whole point.
On the Allstate Health Solutions plans we place, benefit maximums reach up to $5 million.
How fast it starts
Coverage can begin within a day or two of applying.
This is the reason short-term works so well for a coverage gap or a tight timeline. Once you are approved, coverage can start within a day or two, sometimes as soon as the next day. There is no waiting for an annual enrollment window the way the ACA Marketplace works.
If you have a hard date you need coverage by, tell us, and we will work backward from it.
How the underwriting actually works
Light underwriting up front, usually keyed to your prescription history.
Short-term plans use a lighter application process than you might expect, often based on your prescription history. The logic is simple: the medications you take give a good read on your overall health.
Being on a medication does not automatically disqualify you. What it does mean, like with other private health plans, is that a pre-existing condition clause applies. Our advisors will tell you plainly how that lands for your situation before you sign anything.
Short-term medical and an ACA Marketplace plan, side by side
| What changes | Short-term medical | ACA Marketplace plan |
|---|---|---|
| Medical underwriting | Yes, and it is usually keyed to your prescription history. A pre-existing condition clause applies, often for the first year. | None. An ACA plan cannot turn you down. |
| Essential health benefits | Leaves out some of them, like maternity and mental health. | Must cover them. |
| When it can start | Within a day or two of approval, sometimes as soon as the next day. | There is an annual enrollment window to wait for. |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Short-term medical is not ACA-compliant comprehensive major medical coverage. That is not a knock on it. It is a tradeoff you should understand, and we walk you through exactly what is and is not covered before you enroll. See how ACA Marketplace plans work.
Why shopping it is the whole game
Almost every private health plan has a pre-existing clause. The question is which plan puts you in the best position.
Here is the part most people miss. A pre-existing condition clause is not unique to short-term. It shows up across private health plans. So the real question is never whether a plan has one. It is which plan leaves you best protected for your health, your budget, and your timeline.
Maximums, look-back periods, networks, and what is even available all swing widely by carrier and by state. Because our team is independent, we compare the options across the major carriers in Arizona, Alabama, and Texas and point you to the right one. And because we are a team that guides whole households across every stage of life, we are still here when this bridge ends and the next plan begins.
Short-term medical is not ACA-compliant comprehensive major medical coverage. Benefit maximums, pre-existing look-back periods, and plan availability vary by carrier and by state.
Reviewed for accuracy by Brent Barnes, licensed insurance agent (NPN 19248676)
Common questions
Good questions, straight answers
Is short-term medical real coverage?
Yes, it is real private health insurance. On the Allstate Health Solutions plans we place, benefit maximums reach up to about $5 million. It is not ACA-comprehensive coverage, so it is not right for everyone, but for the right person on the right plan it is a genuinely solid option. Our advisors make sure you are on a good one and explain the tradeoffs first.
What about my pre-existing condition?
Short-term plans, like other private health plans, include a pre-existing condition clause, often for the first year. Being on a particular medication does not automatically exclude you. We will walk you through exactly how the clause applies to your situation before you decide, and if a short-term plan is not the right fit, we will say so.
How fast can short-term coverage start?
Often within a day or two of applying, sometimes as soon as the next day. That speed is why it works so well for a coverage gap or a tight timeline, and there is no waiting for an annual enrollment window.
Do you offer short-term plans in Arizona, Alabama, and Texas?
Yes. Our team is licensed in Arizona, Alabama, and Texas and compares short-term options across the major carriers across all three. More states are planned.
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