The day comes that you lose your job and, as a consequence, you also lose your medical insurance. Luckily, short term medical insurance is one thing which can keep you afloat until you [get|secure|find a new position. A short term medical insurance policy will cover your health care requirements from the date on which you lose your job until you become eligible for benefits from your new employer.
But just where should you begin looking for a short term medical insurance policy? Like most people nowadays, your first stop will probably be one of the online search engines and these will provide you with a laundry list of directories. These directories each give you a list of companies which offer short term medical insurance and even a hendful which will actually tell you exactly what it is. Knowing exactly what short term medical insurance is and, equally important, what it is not will assist you in shopping for the right policy and stop you from getting scammed.
First, every state has its own brand of short term health insurance policy to help you in holding onto the health insurance from your previous employer. In Minnesota it is called a Cobra Plan and will provide you with cover until you have a new position. Incidentally, state law also states that your employer must notify you of your eligibility for Cobra coverage.
Commercial short term medical insurance plans generally run from one to twelve months, though many providers restrict their plans to six months, and will provide most of the same benefits which are provided on their long term plans. The greatest difference that you will see is that the contract is not renewable and if you want to hang on to your coverage you will need to take out a further new policy. Bear in mind that this type of policy is intended only for short term use and not for long term use.
Some things which will most likely not be covered are preventative care and wellness checks and short term health plans will also not usually cover dental or optical care. They are also normally very strict on denying cover for pre existing conditions. It is also usually possible to get cover extended to your spouse and children. Lastly, you will find that the majority of plans will be priced from around $25 to $100 a month.
Bearing these things in mind, you can begin to work your way through the results of your search and examine the lists of insurance companies to locate one that meets your requirements.
Yet another excellent place to turn for cover is to your current home or car insurer as it is likely that they will also carry a health insurance policy which you can get. And, if you are purchasing the policy through your own insurer, there could well be an additional discount available for having more than one policy with them.
Finally, do not forget that your local phone book may also list several places for you to buy short term medical insurance coverage in your area.
