How to Find Short Term Health Insurance in Plano TX
The average cost of health insurance in Texas has gone up. In 2022, you can purchase a health insurance plan for an average of $575 per month. That price tag is up a whopping 13% from just last year.
If you are struggling to afford Texas health insurance, you are not alone. And luckily, short-term health insurance in Plano, TX may be the solution you have been looking for.
Short-term health insurance is a type of temporary medical insurance plan. It is available to anyone who is not currently enrolled or does not intend to enroll in an ACA marketplace policy this year.
Are you curious about short-term health insurance in Texas? Want to know how to find the right policy for you and your family? Then keep reading because this one is for you.
What Is Short-Term Health Insurance in Texas?
Short-term health insurance is an alternative to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance policies in Texas. Texans can purchase these plans for a full calendar year, with the option to renew the plan for up to three years.
Renewal of your short-term health insurance policy is not guaranteed. For example, if you develop a medical condition while enrolled in a short-term insurance plan, you may not be eligible for renewal.
Who Needs Temporary Health Insurance?
Temporary insurance is not for everyone. It is ideal for people who need the minimum amount of health coverage, including recent college graduates, people who lose dependent status, and retirees who are ineligible for Medicare.
Otherwise, here are the three most common reasons Texans enroll in a short-term insurance policy.
Texans Who Missed Open Enrollment
Unless you fall within a special provision, open enrollment is the only time you can enroll in an ACA health insurance plan. In Texas, open enrollment occurs from November 1st to January 15th.
If you miss this open enrollment period, you may be stuck without health coverage for the entire year. Temporary insurance plans offer an alternative until the next open enrollment period begins.
Texans Who Are Between Jobs
In Texas, you can no longer get insurance coverage from an employer that no longer employs you. But what happens if you lose or quit your job outside of the open enrollment period?
One option is to enroll in a temporary health insurance plan until you can enroll in a new plan. And the good news is that short-term insurance can cover you as well as your family members.
Texans Who Can’t Afford ACA Marketplace Plans
Short-term health insurance plans offer a limited number of covered benefits (more on this next). As such, these policies are far more affordable than ACA marketplace plans.
If you can not afford an ACA health insurance plan this year, consider going with short-term insurance instead to reduce health care costs for you and your family in case of an emergency.
What Benefits Do Short-Term Health Insurance Policies Cover?
Short-term health insurance plans are not ACA plans. That means they do not have to adhere to the same coverage regulations.
The goal of short-term insurance is to make emergency medical care more affordable for policyholders. Though some plans may cover prescription medicines, most do not, and others only cover less expensive medications.
The exact benefits a short-term insurance plan will cover depend on the provider. But most temporary health insurance policies provide some level of coverage for the following services.
Preventive Care
Preventive care services are those that help prevent or detect serious medical conditions. Common preventive care services include regular check-ups and health screenings.
Physician Care
Physician care is also known as primary care. These services are administered by your primary care physician (PCP), who may be a family, general, or pediatric specialist.
Primary care services include any appointments, visits, or check-ups with your PCP. Sometimes, preventive care services also fall under primary care.
Urgent Care
Urgent care centers provide treatment for non-serious injuries and illnesses. Some of the more common reasons people seek urgent care include earaches, urinary tract infections (UTIs), minor injuries, and the flu.
Emergency Care
Emergency care includes services you receive in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Unlike urgent care, emergency care facilities can handle life-threatening illnesses and injuries.
Is Short-Term Health Insurance Better Than ACA Health Insurance Coverage in Texas?
ACA health plans have many advantages over short-term health plans. But for some people, the pros of short-term insurance far outweigh those of traditional health insurance plans.
Keep reading to learn more about the pros and cons of temporary health insurance in Texas.
Pro: Short-Term Insurance Plans Cost Less
Short-term insurance policies are far more affordable than ACA health plans. In most cases, these policies cost half of the price of traditional health insurance. In some cases, short-term insurance can cost 2/3 of the price of an ACA plan.
Con: Short-Term Insurance Plans Do Not Cover Pre-Existing Conditions
ACA marketplace health insurance providers can not deny coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
Unfortunately, short-term health insurance providers do not have to adhere to this same requirement. You can not get short-term health insurance coverage in Texas if you have a pre-existing medical condition.
Pro: Short-Term Insurance Plans Have Broad Networks
Plano health insurance plans come in many forms, including HMOs. And HMOs require policyholders to seek care from a limited number of healthcare providers who are in-network.
Temporary insurance plans are far less limiting. These policies are usually PPOs with broad, nationwide networks.
Con: Short-Term Insurance Plans Do Not Cover Minimum Essential Benefits
Unlike ACA plans, temporary insurance policies are not required to cover the following 10 essential health benefits:
Prescription drugsOutpatient servicesEmergency servicesInpatient servicesMaternity careMental health disorder servicesRehabilitative servicesLaboratory servicesPreventive servicesPediatric services
A short-term health insurance plan may cover some of these services but not all of them. For example, your policy may only cover emergency and inpatient services.
Pro: Short-Term Insurance Covers the Services You Need
When you purchase an ACA marketplace health insurance plan, you are not just paying for your insurance plan. You are also helping lower the premiums and out-of-pocket costs for lower-income Americans.
With a short-term health plan, you do not pay into these health insurance subsidy programs. You pay for the services you and your family use and nothing more.
Who Are the Short-Term Health Insurance Providers in Plano?
There are 15 ACA marketplace health insurance providers in Texas, including:
Aetna CVS HealthAscension Personalized CareBlue Cross Blue Shield of TexasCeltic/AmbetterChristusSignaImperial Insurance CompaniesModa HealthMolinaOscarSenderoSHA/FirstCareCommunity Health ChoiceScott & WhiteUnitedHealthcare of Texas
Some, though not all, of these companies offer short-term health insurance. And some short-term health insurance companies are not on this list. We will talk about a few of them next.
UnitedHealthcare Short-Term Insurance
UnitedHealthcare of Texas is not only a traditional ACA insurance provider. The company also offers short-term coverage. UnitedHealthcare has four Enhanced Short-Term Medical plans.
All four plans cover copays for urgent care visits, and one plan covers primary care visits. Unique to these plans, you can also get some benefits that are not typical to short-term insurance.
For instance, some Enhanced Short-Term Medical plans cover prescription medications. All of these plans also offer partial coverage to people with certain pre-existing conditions.
Pivot Health Short-Term Insurance
Pivot Health is a HealthCare.com company. It specializes in supplemental insurance products, including short-term health insurance plans. These plans are ideal for Texans who can not afford the cost of an ACA plan.
The impressive thing about Pivot Health’s three different short-term insurance plans is that they do not have network requirements. You can see any provider or specialist you want and still receive coverage.
This insurance company also sets itself apart with its digital-native and customer-first approach. Policyholders have praised this company for its friendly customer representatives and streamlined online enrollment process.
Everest Short-Term Health Insurance
Everest is a reinsurance and insurance company that has been around since 1973. Today, this company offers one of the most affordable temporary health insurance portfolios in Texas.
One of the benefits of using Everest is that it offers coverage for hospitalization and major injury services. But you can also pay for a policy that covers visits with your primary care provider.
Other benefits you can add to your policy include physical therapy, mental health, and wellness coverage.
The only downside to Everest’s short-term insurance? You can not enroll with a pre-existing condition, and prescriptions are not covered.
How to Sign Up for Short-Term Health Insurance in Plano, TX
At Custom Health Plans, we are experts in all things health insurance. Our brokers can help you identify and customize the best temporary medical insurance plan for your needs.
We will explain how we can help you select and enroll in the right policy in a moment. But first, we want to explain how the process of signing up for short-term health insurance works.
Step 1: Browse Your Options
Our list of short-term insurance providers in Plano barely scratched the surface. There are dozens of companies offering temporary insurance products to Texans like you.
So, the first step to finding the right policy is to browse your options.
Step 2: Compare Plans
You and your family have unique health needs. As such, you will want to choose the policy offering coverage for the services your household actually uses.
Additionally, different plans offer various levels of affordability. For example, some plans have higher deductibles than others. The higher your deductible, the lower your monthly premium, and vice versa.
Step 3: Enroll
Once you have chosen the right short-term health insurance policy for your needs, it is time to enroll. You will apply for coverage with the policy provider.
Again, you do not have to apply for short-term health insurance during open enrollment. You can enroll in these policies at any time of the year.
Once the provider approves your application, you will not have to wait long for coverage. Most short-term insurance plans kick in within 114 days of the date your application gets approved.
Short-Term Health Insurance FAQs
Custom Health Plans’ licensed brokers are standing by to help answer all of your questions about short-term health insurance plans in Plano. You can also browse our list of short-term health insurance FAQs here.
Otherwise, here are the top questions about temporary health plans answered.
What Is the Point of Short-Term Health Insurance?
Short-term health insurance is temporary health insurance. Its goal is to fill in health insurance coverage gaps until you can find a longer-term solution.
How Does Short-Term Insurance Work?
As with traditional insurance, you pay a monthly premium to the insurance company for coverage. In exchange, your insurer will cover a portion of the cost of medical services you obtain during the coverage period.
Can You Cancel Short-Term Insurance?
Short-term insurance is not meant to replace traditional ACA plans. As such, you can cancel temporary health insurance at any time. And some providers may even pay you back for any unused benefits you have paid for already.
Which Is Better: Short-Term or Long-Term Health Insurance?
It depends on your needs. Short-term insurance is great for people experiencing a gap in coverage or who can not currently afford an ACA marketplace plan.
Long-term health insurance is ideal for people who want and can afford comprehensive medical coverage. It is also better for individuals with pre-existing medical conditions and prescription medication needs.
Is the Short-Term Insurance Enrollment Process Difficult?
Signing up for short-term insurance is not necessarily difficult. However, some people prefer assistance when enrolling in a short-term health plan for the first time. That is where Custom Health Plans can help.
Need Help Finding Affordable Temporary Health Insurance in Plano?
Short-term health insurance in Plano, TX is the best solution for people who can not afford ACA policies. You can find temporary insurance providers online. Or you can use our brokerage services to compare plans side by side.
Do you want help finding and enrolling in Texas short-term insurance? Our licensed health insurance brokers are here for you. Get a free custom quote to find the best short-term health insurance for your needs today!
