Health Insurance Articles
How To Make Ends Meet With Temporary Health Insurance Coverage
2010-12-16
When going through a life transition, many people find themselves without family health insurance. This can be a frightening and dangerous situation. Not having health insurance, even for a short period of time, can put a family at risk of incurring substantial financial costs from unexpected medical emergencies or accidents. Temporary health insurance coverage can provide families with security and peace of mind.
Temporary health insurance coverage is designed to cover gaps in coverage. This type of health insurance policy is structured to cover transition times. Most policies cover time periods ranging from one month to six months and can be renewed for up to thirty-six months. The ease of applying for temporary insurance and quickness with which a temporary health insurance policy can be issued, make it an ideal option for families looking to cover short gaps in health insurance coverage.
Temporary health insurance coverage is a good solution for a variety of people in transition. People who are temporarily out of work or have changed jobs are great candidates for temporary health insurance. In today's tough economy, job loss is a constant threat. In the case of job loss, temporary insurance can help cover the job search period. Often, when starting a new job there is a waiting period before health insurance coverage becomes active. Temporary insurance can cover families in this waiting period so that they do not have to go without coverage.
Additionally, temporary health insurance coverage is ideal for recent college graduates. Many college graduates look for full-time employment that offers health insurance. However, in today's difficult economy it can take some time for recent college graduates to find such a position. Temporary health insurance can protect these people while they are working part-time or in positions that do not provide health insurance coverage.
One of the most important things to remember about temporary health insurance coverage is that this type of policy is not intended to cover preexisting conditions. This means that medical care and treatment for any condition that a person is already diagnosed will not be covered by any temporary health insurance coverage.
Thus, the question becomes, what is considered a pre-existing condition by temporary health insurance providers? Typically a pre-determined condition is defined as any condition that has been diagnosed or that a person has received treatment for, in the past thirty-six months. However, each state defines the look- back period slightly different. Depending on the state that you are purchasing family health insurance, the look-back period can be more or less than this thirty-six month window. The best way to determine the look-back period for preexisting conditions for your particular state is to contact the state insurance commissioner.
