Temporary health insurance plans are great for certain situations.
It is normally used to fill a gap while you are waiting to get long
term coverage from another source. For example, if you are between
jobs, you may temporarily need coverage, but only on a short term basis
– until you find a new job that offers health insurance coverage. If
you recently graduated from college, you may need a temporary health
insurance plan while you are looking for a job. Sometimes, employers
are in the process of getting medical insurance set up. In this case,
you want temporary health insurance to cover you until your employer
provided insurance kicks in. If you are a seasonal or temporary worker,
temporary insurance can come in handy. And finally, if you are
traveling outside the United States briefly, you may want to look at
getting temporarily health insurance if your normal health care
coverage does not apply outside the United States. If you already have
a health insurance provider, check with them first to see if they will
cover any medical expenses incurred outside the country.
Temporary
health insurance plans can run anywhere from 30 days to 180 days. You
may be able to spread out the premiums out into monthly payments or
some companies may allow you to pay for the entire period in one single
payment.
Unfortunately, some individuals may not be eligible
for temporary health insurance. Those who have not resided in the
United States for more than 12 months may find it hard to get temporary
health insurance. You may also have trouble getting such a plan if you
have been denied an individual health insurance plan in the past, for
whatever reasons. People who are 65 and eligible for Medicare may be
turned down when applying for temporary health insurance as might
someone who is pregnant when they apply.