If you need insurance coverage quickly, you might want to consider a short-term health insurance plan. Though short-term health insurance plans don’t offer all of the benefits you’ll find in plans that comply with the Affordable Care Act, they can offer coverage to bridge the gap between employer-sponsored or individual plans.
However, the type of short-term health insurance you can buy largely depends on your state’s laws. Let’s take a look at your options for short-term health insurance plans by state.
Key Points
- Short-term health insurance plans are affordable insurance options that fill in the gaps between ACA-compliant health insurance plans.
- Short-term health insurance plans do not need to cover the ACA’s essential health benefits, and coverage can be strictly limited.
- 4 states have completely banned the sale of short-term health insurance plans, while others have limited the terms that these plans are allowed to operate under.
- In some states where restrictions are stricter, insurance providers have elected to stop offering coverage.
What is Short-Term Health Insurance?
Short-term health insurance plans are limited insurance plans that offer affordable coverage over long-term insurance. These plans may help cover the costs of medical emergencies or urgent care costs.
Short-term health insurance benefits are severely limited, but they may provide a layer of temporary coverage if you’ve missed Open Enrollment.
What is the Federal Stance on Short-Term Health Insurance?
Health insurance laws are largely dictated by state governments. However, while there are now more relaxed laws regarding the sale of short-term health insurance plans, the federal government requires that insurance providers make it clear that short-term health insurance plans are not the same as long-term insurance plans issued through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace.
Short-term health insurance plan providers are able to implement policies that are now against the law under the ACA, such as:
- Denying coverage for any one of the ACA’s essential health benefits
- Denying coverage for pre-existing conditions
- Setting limits on the total amount of money the plan will pay out annually or for any single condition
While short-term plans can fill a temporary gap in coverage, you should not see them as a permanent or all-inclusive solution — especially for those who need expensive prescriptions and frequent doctors’ visits.
State by State Short-Term Health Insurance Laws
Understanding your options for short-term health insurance can be complicated, as each state has set its own laws dictating how and if these plans can be offered. Let’s take a look at short-term health insurance plans by state and the laws that dictate these plans.
States Where Short-Term Health Plans are Banned
The following states have banned the sale of short-term plans altogether.
- California (banned short-term health insurance plans in 2019)
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- New York
If you live in any of these 4 states, you cannot purchase a short-term health insurance plan.
States that Follow Short-Term Health Insurance Federal Rules
The following states follow the current federal regulations regarding short-term health insurance plans, which allows for terms of up to 364 days and up to 3 renewals.
| State | Plan duration | Are renewals allowed? | Maximum duration with renewal | Allowed to purchase additional policy? | Special case notes |
| Alabama | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Alaska | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Arkansas | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Arizona | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Florida | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Georgia | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Indiana | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | Indiana requires short-term plan providers to offer a maximum benefit limit of at least $2 million. |
| Idaho | 364 days for “enhanced short-term plans” and 6 months for standard plans | Guaranteed renewal for enhanced plans; no renewal for standard plans | 36 months for enhanced plans; 6 months for standard plans | Yes for enhanced plans | Idaho offers both standard short-term insurance plans and “enhanced plans” that are required to offer a more robust set of coverages. |
| Iowa | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | Iowa’s short-term health insurance plans include state-imposed minimum benefits and coverages, as well as maximum out-of-pocket costs. |
| Kentucky | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Mississippi | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Montana | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Nebraska | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| North Carolina | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| North Dakota | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Oklahoma | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Pennsylvania | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Rhode Island | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | Though insurance providers are legally allowed to sell short-term health insurance plans in Rhode Island, the state has imposed strict laws on policy provisions. As a result, there are no health insurance providers offering these plans in Rhode Island. |
| Tennessee | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Texas | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Utah | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| West Virginia | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes | |
| Wyoming | 364 days | Yes | 36 months | Yes |
States with Short-Term Health Insurance Plans with Duration of 1 to 3 Years
| State | Plan duration | Are renewals allowed? | Maximum duration with renewal | Allowed to purchase additional policy? | Special case notes |
| Kansas | 365 days | Once | 24 months | Yes | |
| Louisiana | 12 months | Yes | 36 months | Yes | Plans longer than 6 months must only take pre-existing conditions into account from the last 12 months. As a result, most insurance providers only offer 6-month plans. |
| Maine | 364 days | Yes | 24 months | Yes | Short-term insurance plans may only be sold in person in the state of Maine. |
| Ohio | 364 days | No | 52 weeks | Yes | |
| South Carolina | 11 months | Yes | 33 months | Yes | |
| Wisconsin | 365 days | Yes | 18 months | Yes, but you must wait at least 63 days to purchase a plan from the same provider. |
States with Short-Term Health Insurance Plans with Duration up to 6 Months
| State | Plan duration | Are renewals allowed? | Maximum duration with renewal | Allowed to purchase additional policy? | Special case notes |
| Colorado | 6 months | No | 6 months | Yes, but not if you’ve already had a short-term plan in the last 12 months. | Colorado’s extensive plan requirements have caused insurance companies to stop selling short-term plans in this state. |
| Connecticut | 6 months | No | 6 months | Yes | Short-term plans in Connecticut are required to cover the ACA’s essential benefits. As a result, insurance providers have elected to stop offering policies in this state. |
| Illinois | 6 months | No | 6 months | Yes | You cannot purchase a new short-term plan from the same issuance provider within 60 days of your previous plan ending. |
| Michigan | 185 days | No | 185 days within the any365-day period. | Yes, unless you’ve had 185 days of short-term coverage from the same provider in the last 365 days. | |
| Minnesota | 185 days | No, but you can purchase a new plan | Total time enrolled in short-term plans can't exceed 365 days in any 555-day period. | Yes, so long as you have not exceeded your time limit. | |
| Missouri | 6 months | Yes | 36 months | Yes | Plans can be renewed to a total of 36 months as long as each term is 6 months or less. |
| Nevada | 185 days | No | 185 days | Yes | |
| New Hampshire | 6 months | No | 18 months total within a 2-year period | Yes, as long as you have not exceeded your 18-month coverage limit within the last 2 years. | You cannot purchase a new short-term health insurance plan if you’ve already had 540 days of coverage in the last 24 months. |
| South Dakota | 6 months | No | 6 months | Yes |
States with Short-Term Health Insurance Plans with Duration up to 3 Months
| State | Plan duration | Are renewals allowed? | Maximum duration with renewal | Allowed to purchase additional policy? | Special case notes |
| District of Columbia | 3 months | No | 3 months | No, unless there's at least a 9-month gap between plans from the same insurance provider. | |
| Delaware | 3 months | No | 3 months | Yes | |
| Hawaii | 90 days | Effectively no, as only those who were not eligible for ACA coverage in last year can renew. | 90 days | Yes, unless you have already had short-term coverage within the past 12 months. | No insurance providers currently offer short-term health insurance plans in Hawaii. |
| Maryland | 3 months | No | 3 months | Yes | |
| New Mexico | 3 months | No | 3 months | Yes, unless you have already had short-term coverage within the past 12 months. | No insurance providers currently offer short-term health insurance plans in New Mexico. |
| Oregon | 3 months | Yes, but the 3-month total duration limit includes renewals. | 3 months | Yes, but there must be a 60-day gap in-between your previous plan’s end date and your new plan’s start date. | |
| Vermont | 3 months | No | 3 months within a single 12-month period. | Yes, but you may only have 3 months’ worth of coverage in a 12-month period. | No insurance providers currently offer short-term health insurance plans in Vermont because state laws require that insurance providers cover the ACA’s essential benefits. |
| Virginia | 3 months | No | 3 months | Yes | New rules limiting short-term health insurance plans in Virginia went into effect in July 2021. |
| Washington | 3 months | No | 3 months | Yes, unless you have already had short-term coverage within the past 12 months. | Insurance providers cannot sell individual short-term plans during the annual ACA Open Enrollment period. |
Protecting Your Health with Short-Term Insurance
States limit and ban short-term health insurance coverage because they are not required to provide many of the benefits that customers rely on to keep themselves healthy. For example, no short-term health insurance plan available currently offers coverage for pregnancy and birth.
While short-term health insurance plans offer affordable insurance, you should only use these plans to fill in the gaps between ACA-compliant coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are short-term health plans ACA-compliant?
No. Short-term health insurance plan providers are not required to offer coverage for the ACA’s essential health benefits. This means that they are not compliant under the ACA.
Are short-term health plans more affordable than regular health insurance plans?
Yes, short-term health insurance plans are more affordable than ACA-compliant coverage. However, they offer fewer benefits than ACA-compliant plans.
About Sarah Horvath
Sarah Horvath is a highly respected freelance senior copywriter specializing in insurance content. With a wealth of experience, she is recognized as one of the top insurance copywriters in the industry. Sarah’s expertise encompasses various aspects of insurance, including home warranties, life insurance, health insurance, and more. Her insightful articles and guides are regularly featured on major finance sites, providing invaluable information to readers seeking to navigate the complexities of insurance policies. Known for her clear, concise writing style and comprehensive understanding of insurance products, Sarah is dedicated to empowering individuals with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their insurance coverage.