What Are the Benefits of Short Term Health Insurance Plans?
At 18%, Texas had the highest percentage of persons without medical insurance in America in 2021. Many Texans may find themselves in this boat if they’ve recently lost their job and/or are experiencing financial hardships. However, short term health insurance plans can help them through these situations.
Read on to learn more about short term health insurance and its many benefits.
Why Should Texans Have Health Insurance?
Many Texans believe that they can survive without medical financial coverage. However, sicknesses and/or injuries can happen to anyone at any time. If you get sick and/or injured while you don’t have health insurance, you could find yourself in a dire situation.
No Protection Against High Medical Costs
Many health insurances will cover at least part of a medical bill. If you don’t have health insurance, you have to pay for this coverage on your own. And some medical bills can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Pay More for Healthcare in General
Texans with health insurance will pay less for healthcare so long as it’s in the network. If you don’t have health insurance, you’ll have to cover the full price of healthcare services.
Preventative Care Won’t Be Free
You’re also more likely to get sick and injured without health insurance. Preventative care measures, like check-ups and vaccines, are free with health insurance. If you don’t have health insurance and you can’t afford it, you’ll be vulnerable to various injuries and diseases.
How Can I Find Good Short Term Health Insurance in Texas?
You may find it difficult to wade through the numerous options for short term health insurance in Texas. However, there are some tricks you can use to find some good policies. You can read about three of these tricks in the list below.
Read the Fine Print
Short term health insurance plans don’t have the same level of regulation as ACA health insurance plans. Therefore, you have to be careful. Read the fine print so that you know exactly what the health plan offers.
Read Reviews Carefully
You can find great information about a health insurance company on review sites. However, you can also find a lot of fake reviews on these sites. Research how to spot these fake ads and disregard any information you get from them.
Look for the Broker’s License
Even the best insurance brokers need to have licenses to operate in Texas. Ask the broker you’re interviewing for his or her licensing number. Then look it up on the Texas Department of Insurance Database.
What Are the Benefits of Short Term Health Insurance Plans?
Short term health insurance covers its clients for a short duration. It also acts as a stand-alone medical insurance, rather than one offered by employers. To those who need it, this type of insurance offers many benefits.
Plenty of Options
There are plenty of options for short term health insurance plans available. You should be able to find an insurance policy that provides for all your needs.
Starts Quickly
Many medical insurance plans can take up to six weeks to go into effect. However, with short term health insurance plans, a plan can activate in as little as a few days. So you can start using this insurance plan right away.
Can Be Customizable
Some types of short term health insurance plans will allow users to choose different types of benefits that they can add to their plans. For example, you can add plans that will cover vision care and prescription drugs.
Easy to Enroll
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to sign up for a short term health insurance plan. You can easily enroll online or over the phone. If you need help, you can likely find more information through quick research or asking customer service representatives.
No Open Enrollment Period
Many health insurance companies in Texas only allow Texans to enroll in a health insurance program during an open enrollment period. This usually lasts from November 1 to January 15. If Texans are unable to enroll in a health insurance plan at this time, they’ll be without one for a year.
However, most short term health insurance plans do not have an enrollment period. Therefore, Texans can sign up for them whenever they need to.
Has Broader Networks
Many types of health insurance have networks. These are medical providers that have contracts with insurance companies. Individuals who have coverage with certain companies will get negotiated rates from related medical professionals.
Most networks have enough labs, doctors, hospitals, etc. in the network to provide individuals with enough medical care. However, it may be inconvenient for certain health insurance members to reach certain medical providers.
Luckily, short term health insurance plans may have broader networks than many ACA programs. You may even be able to bring your coverage with you if you move to a new state. Some will even allow you to have the same health insurance internationally.
Most Americans Qualify For Them
Most legal residents and U.S. citizens qualify for a short term health insurance plan. However, there are a few exceptions.
Those Who Are Eligible For Medicaid
Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides medical coverage to over 72.5 million Americans. Many different groups of individuals are eligible. These can include children, parents, seniors, and disabled individuals.
Before you try to get short term health insurance, be sure to check and see if you’re eligible for Medicaid.
Those Who Are Eligible for Medicare
Most people may know that Americans aged 65 years and over are eligible for Medicare medical coverage. However, certain young Americans with disabilities and people with End-Stage Renal Disease are also eligible for Medicare. If you think you may fall into these groups, try enrolling with Medicare first.
Those Who Have Another Form of Healthcare
Any form of healthcare can block your eligibility to get short term medical insurance. For example, some people may have insurance from their employer that doesn’t cover everything they need. Unfortunately, this healthcare will block a person’s eligibility to get health insurance.
Costs Less Than Most ACA Plans
Health insurance in Texas can cost around $600 per month. In contrast, you can expect to pay between $100 and $300 for short term health insurance monthly. However, you may pay more than this if you have a pre-existing medical condition.
If you’re in good health, however, you can easily get plans that cost around $100 to $200 per month. You just need to perform ample research.
Can Last For Up to a Year
The amount of time that this type of insurance plan can last will vary. Before 2017, some states offered year-long coverage. Others only offered half a year or so.
For much of 2017, health insurance companies could only offer short term insurance plans lasting up to three months. Late in 2017, however, the president signed an order that would expand that maximum duration back to a year.
So, for now, short term health insurance plans can last for up to 364 days. However, this could change in the future. Also, states are not legally required to offer a full year of coverage.
Can Be Renewed for Three Years
Another important fact to know is that you can renew short term health insurance a few times. The longest time you can have health insurance with a renewal is three years.
Can Cover Several Health Benefits
The exact types of healthcare that short term health insurance will offer vary from plan to plan. Another thing to keep in mind is that short term health insurance plans do not have the legal obligation to offer coverage of certain services. However, you shouldn’t have to search hard to get financial coverage for the following services.
Preventative Care
Most short term health insurance networks will cover preventative care. The services in this healthcare area exist to prevent clients from developing certain diseases. It can also help doctors treat existing conditions before they become worse.
Screenings such as hepatitis, diabetes, and cholesterol screenings are good examples of preventative care. Immunizations such as those for hepatitis, chicken pox, tetanus, etc. also fall under the preventative care umbrella.
Physician/Primary Care
Primary or physician care covers a lot of disease prevention methods as well. However, a primary care physician (PCP) likely won’t perform complicated procedures himself or herself. He or she will usually diagnose a possible issue and send the patient to a specialist to get the needed procedure done.
PCPs can also promote a patient’s health by providing the patient with health counseling and education. They will give patients suggestions on how to better take care of their health. They will also write patients prescriptions for medicines that can help them.
As long as it’s in the network, most short term health insurance plans might cover visits, check-ups, etc. with a PCP.
Urgent Care
Often, Americans will experience injuries or illnesses that are too minor for emergency services but need immediate treatment. Examples of these include the flu, earaches, and stomaches. They can go to a PCP for these issues, but the PCP may be unavailable.
Another option for Americans who experience issues like these is to go to an urgent care center. These centers can treat minor issues and provide any medication a person may need. Many short term health insurance plans will at least partly cover urgent care visits.
Emergency Care
The illnesses and injuries that cause patients to see an emergency care physician are usually the most severe and are often life-threatening. Examples of these include choking, chest pains, and breathing problems. For problems like these, people often need to visit a hospital.
Often, a patient will have to stay at the hospital for an extended period. In these cases, the care for medical treatment can skyrocket. Luckily, short term medical coverage can cover at least a portion of these fees.
Can Help Bridge Coverage Gaps
Short term health insurance plans work best to cover gaps in medical financial coverage. Texans may have found themselves suddenly without health insurance for a variety of reasons.
Texans Who Lost Dependency
If parents have health insurance, their medical coverage extends to their children. However, when these children reach a certain adult age, the health insurance no longer covers them. Adults who are dealing with this situation can get short term health insurance until they find another coverage plan.
Texans Who Recently Graduated College
Many Texan colleges offer what’s called a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). This covers college students while they go to school. However, after students graduate, they will need to use a short term health insurance plan until they find regular health insurance.
Texans Who Lost Their Jobs
For most Texans, their employer covers their health insurance. However, if these Texans lose their jobs, they also lose that health insurance. Short term health insurance can cover them while they search for new work.
Texans Who Can’t Afford Regular Health Insurance
If Texans know that they will be in a poor financial situation for some time, they may let go of their health insurance. While they recover their finances, short term health insurance can cover any medical needs.
Texans Who Missed Open Enrollment
Texans can only enroll in ACA medical insurance plans between November 1 and January 15. If they’re not able to sign up on time, they won’t have health insurance until the next enrollment period starts. They will need to get a short term health insurance plan to cover them.
Find the Best Health Insurance in Texas Through Us
You don’t need to leave yourself open to a financial health disaster. Short term health insurance plans are great substitutes for longer ones. In some ways, they even outdo regular healthcare plans.
If you need to find short term health insurance or other kinds of health insurance, try our services. We’re a full-service Texas insurance broker that offers the highest level of insurance. Get a free quote for medical insurance by clicking on the link provided.
