Short Term Health Insurance

What is Short-Term Health Insurance?

Short-Term Health plans are designed to offer temporary coverage with limited benefits. They aren’t Affordable Care Act-compliant, don't cover pre-existing conditions, are not available after age 65, and most are not guaranteed issue, which means the insurance company can ask health questions and reject the applicant if he or she has a health condition. (Short-term plans can be offered on a guaranteed issue basis, but these plans exclude pre-existing conditions).

However, short-term plans can once again be considered as an option for those ineligible for Affordable Care Act plans or those looking for a lower cost alternative. Short-term plans are regulated by individual states, subject to Federal guidance.

The Biden Administration issued regulations effective September 1, 2024 stating these plans can only be offered for a period of up to three months plus a one-month extension. However, on August 7, 2025 the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury issued a joint statement indicating they will not be prioritizing enforcement of the September 2024 regulations until future rulemaking is issued and applicable.

Carriers are writing short term policies with durations substantially as they were available prior to the 2024 regulation. They are also adding other benefits and providing additional options. This means that in Florida, for example, these policies can be issued in one-year increments for up to three years. One-year policies of up to 364 days in duration are available again as well. Note: some states like California still do not permit short-term health insurance policies to be written and some other states provide for only shorter duration policies with, in some cases, more restrictive provisions than those permitted by Federal regulation.

The Administration is in the process of developing new regulations that will offer alternatives to Affordable Care Act coverage. This will include new short-term health insurance regulations but may also include other types of policies. We will update this webpage as developments occur.

Where permitted, longer short-term policies are an attractive alternative for healthy individuals who are looking for less expensive health coverage. Please contact as at 786-970-0740 (cell) for additional information.