Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Purchasing Short Term Medical Insurance

By Donald Saunders


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 do you start looking for a short term health insurance policy? Like a lot of people today, your first stop will probably be one of the major internet search engines and these will provide you with a laundry list of directories. These directories each give you a list of insurers which offer temporary health insurance and even a hendful which will actually explain precisely what it is. Knowing just what temporary health insurance is and, equally important, what it is not will help you in shopping for the right policy and keep 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 temporary health insurance plans generally last for from one to twelve months, although many insurance companies restrict their plans to six months, and will provide many of the benefits which are offered on their long term counterparts. The greatest difference you will see is that the contract is non-renewable and if you wish to hang on to your cover you will need to arrange a further new policy. Bear in mind that this form of policy is only intended 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 this in mind, you can begin to trawl through your search results and examine the lists of companies to discover one which 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.

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