Tuesday, 28 June 2016

Short Term Medical Insurance For Patients


Short term medical insurance, also referred to as temporary health coverage, is designed to provide major medical coverage if there is a lapse or gap in normal health care. This normally happens when people are in between jobs, waiting for their employer benefits to start, are seasonal or temporary employees, have recently graduated from high school or college and are no longer covered under their parents plan, are a non-U. S. Citizen living in the USA temporarily, or have lost their group health insurance for whatever reason.

Patients can get this type of coverage with a temporary plan that is not renewable. If further coverage is needed a new application can be submitted. Coverage is usually only issued for up to one year, depending on the state. Many companies have a one month minimum for coverage and will only supply coverage for up to six months, however some plans will cover patients for a year and some for as long as three years.

There are a few differences between temporary and regular health care that consumers should be aware of. Temporary plans generally do not include any routine care, such as medical check-ups and annual appointments, or any care that is considered to be purely preventative. Dental and vision appointments are normally excluded as well. Plans will typically cover patients for emergencies and will include things such as ambulance service, x-rays, lab tests, intensive care treatment, and prescriptions.

Patients can often save as much as 25% by making one large up front payment; the other option is to pay as you go. You are generally able to keep your same doctors, and many plans offer a money back guarantee.

The costs for temporary care vary with each provider so get several quotes from different providers and compare rates before choosing a specific plan. You can often lower your premiums for temporary insurance if you agree to set a higher deductible and then pay a percentage of all bills after that deductible is met. For example, if you set a $1000 deductible and 40% payment then your monthly premium will be lower than if you set a $500 deductible and meet 20% of costs afterward.

All residents of the United States of America under the age of 64, their spouses, and their dependents are eligible for temporary coverage. When applying for coverage, applicants must pass a medical questionnaire for approval. Typically, if someone has a preexisting condition or are sick at the time of application they will be denied short term coverage.

There are thousands of insurance companies that offer temporary medical coverage. Some of them include: Assurant Health, Aetna, Anthem, United, eHealth, COBRA, and Golden Rule Insurance Company. GradMed is offers a comprehensive temporary health plan for new graduates and alumni under the age of 65.

When looking and signing up for temporary major medical coverage it is important to remember that it is only temporary and should never be used as a substitute for regular medical coverage. It is never a good idea to go without health insurance, so temporary short term coverage could work for you!

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