What to Know About Short-Term Health Insurance Plans
Looking for short-term insurance? Health for California no longer offers these insurance plans, but you may still be able to get coverage if you missed open enrollment. During the open enrollment period, you also have plenty of alternative coverage options.
What Were Interim Insurance Plans?
Short-term health insurance plans offered health coverage to enrollees in need of urgent insurance while waiting to enroll in a standard health plan. Under the Affordable Care Act, this gap ins
urance no longer counts as qualifying coverage. You cannot apply for short-term coverage through Health for California. However, if you just experienced a sudden change in your insurance needs, you still have options.
Qualifying Life Events When You Miss Open Enrollment
Outside of open enrollment, you can apply for insurance if you experience a qualifying life event (QLE). QLEs are majo
r life changes or situations that could affect your insurance coverage, such as:
- Loss of health insurance: When certain life changes cause you to lose insurance eligibility involuntarily, your situation might count as a QLE. Common examples of these types of QLEs include losing employer-sponsored coverage and aging out of a family plan.
- Permanent move to/within California: You qualify for enrollment when you move to California from another state. Some people who move from one part of California to another qualify when they have new Covered California plan options available to them at their new address.
- New child: Having or adopting a child qualifies your entire family for special enrollment.
- Marriage or domestic partnership: When you get married or enter a domestic partnership, you and your partner may purchase a new health plan.
- Return from active-duty military service: For 60 days after losing coverage from leaving active duty, reserve duty or the California National Guard, you qualify for special enrollment.
- Release from jail or prison: You can purchase a health plan outside of open enrollment for 60 days after release from prison or jail.
- New citizenship or lawful presence: You qualify for special enrollment if you become a permanent legal resident, citizen or national of the United States.
- Membership of a federally recognized American Indian or Alaska Native tribe: As an American Indian or Alaska Native who belongs to a federally recognized tribe, you can enroll at any time throughout the year and change health plans up to once a month.
- Other QLEs/none of the above: Many other situations that we list on our QLE page could qualify you for special enrollment. You can also apply for Medi-Cal or the Medi-Cal Access Program (MCAP) for pregnant women at any time if you don’t have a QLE.
Our Alternatives to Short-Term Health Plans
During the Covered California open enrollment period, We offer four tiers of insurance plans from the following providers:
- Anthem Blue Cross Covered California
- Blue Shield Covered California
- Kaiser Permanente Covered California
- Medi-Cal
- Oscar Health Plan of California
- Health Net Covered California
- L.A. Care Health Plan
- Valley Health Plan
- Chinese Community Health Plan
- Sharp Health Plan
- Molina Healthcare
- Western Health Advantage
Contact Us With Your Questions About Gap Insurance
At Health for California, we strive to make insurance enrollment as simple as possible so you can get the coverage you need. For more information about your current health insurance options, you may contact us at any time.