Short-term health insurance is cheap, fast coverage for a gap — between jobs, waiting for a new plan, or after aging off a parent’s. UnitedHealthcare is the best overall. But know the catch: these plans can deny you for health history and often exclude pre-existing conditions, maternity and mental health, and they don’t qualify for ACA subsidies. Use them as a stopgap, not a real plan.
Best short-term plans
| Company | Best for | Monthly range |
|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | Overall (plan variety) | $21–$660 |
| Independence | No fees / no waiting | $67–$1,029 |
| Everest | Students & between jobs | $76–$641 |
| National General | Complex health needs | $36–$873 |
Source: MoneyGeek, 2026. Wide ranges reflect different coverage levels and deductibles. Plans can run from about 3 months up to 3 years, depending on your state.
Other names in this market include Pivot Health, Companion Life and Allstate Health Solutions. Because coverage and exclusions differ so much between these plans, compare the actual benefits — not just the premium — before you buy.
What it covers — and doesn’t
Short-term plans are built for speed and low cost, not completeness. They can help with unexpected illness or injury during a gap, but the exclusions are big: pre-existing conditions, maternity, and most mental-health and prescription coverage are typically excluded, preventive care often isn’t covered, and insurers can reject you based on health history. They also don’t count as ACA coverage, so no subsidies apply.
Better options to check first
Before you settle for short-term, make sure one of these cheaper or fuller routes doesn’t fit — people often qualify without realizing it:
- A Special Enrollment Period: losing job coverage, moving, marriage or a new baby opens a window to buy a full marketplace plan right now, subsidies included.
- COBRA: lets you keep your old employer plan for a while — pricey (you pay the full premium) but it covers your pre-existing conditions and keeps your doctors.
- Medicaid: if your income dropped, you may now qualify — and it can start fast.
- A catastrophic marketplace plan: if you’re under 30, this is real ACA coverage with a low premium.
Should you use one?
Good fit if…
- You’re healthy and bridging a short gap
- You missed open enrollment with no qualifying event
- You need something fast, this week
- The ACA marketplace doesn’t fit your timing
Look elsewhere if…
- You qualify for an ACA subsidy (usually cheaper AND fuller)
- You have a pre-existing condition
- You need maternity or mental-health coverage
- You need it long-term
The rules depend on your state
Short-term plans are regulated state by state, and the differences are big. Some states — including California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Washington — effectively ban or heavily restrict them, so you may not be able to buy one at all. Others cap how long a plan can last or how many times you can renew it. Federal rules on maximum duration have also shifted back and forth in recent years. So the first question isn’t “which plan?” — it’s “are these even sold where I live, and for how long?”
Real examples
If you’re healthy and start a new job in 6 weeks: this is the textbook good use. A low-cost UnitedHealthcare short-term plan covers you against a surprise accident until your new employer coverage kicks in — just don’t rely on it for anything routine.
If you just lost your job: don’t default to short-term. Losing coverage triggers a Special Enrollment Period, so price a subsidized marketplace plan and COBRA first — one of them usually beats short-term on actual protection.
If you take a daily medication or have a known condition: short-term is probably the wrong tool. It can exclude exactly what you need and even decline you — a marketplace plan can’t do either.
The bottom line
Check the ACA marketplace first — if you qualify for a subsidy, a real plan is often cheaper and actually covers you. If not, and you’re healthy and just bridging a short gap, UnitedHealthcare is the best starting point. Treat short-term coverage as a bridge, and get onto a full plan as soon as you can.
Let me be straight with you: short-term health insurance is a stopgap, not a safety net. It’s cheap and fast, which is perfect if you’re between jobs for a month or two — but it can deny you for your health history, skip pre-existing conditions, and leave you exposed on the big stuff.
Before you buy one, check the ACA marketplace first: if your income qualifies for a subsidy, a real plan is often cheaper AND actually covers you. And if you just lost a job, remember that counts as a qualifying event, so you can buy a full plan right away. I’d only reach for short-term if I were healthy, truly just bridging a short gap, and the marketplace didn’t work for my timing. Use it for what it is — a bridge — and get onto a real plan as soon as you can.
FAQs
What is short-term health insurance?
How long can a short-term plan last?
What doesn’t short-term insurance cover?
Is short-term cheaper than COBRA?
Can I renew a short-term plan?
Is it better than an ACA plan?
Sources: MoneyGeek (2026 short-term health insurance analysis); HealthCare.gov; U.S. Dept. of Labor (COBRA).