Compare 36-month
Short-Term Plans

Two big ways. First, one application: your terms are issued together up front, so you don’t re-qualify each time. Second — and this is the one that matters — if you develop a condition in month 8, it generally stays covered into the following terms. Re-applying for a brand-new short-term plan would treat that same condition as pre-existing and exclude it.

A new condition that appears after your coverage starts is treated as covered under your plan’s benefits, and because the terms were issued together, it generally carries into the next term. What’s never covered is a condition you already had before applying.

Yes — straight answer. These plans are medically underwritten, so recent or significant health history can mean a decline or an exclusion rider. If that’s likely in your case, an ACA plan (which must accept you) is usually the better path, and we’ll tell you so.

Yes. These plans are month-to-month in practice — if you land a job with benefits or reach Medicare, you can drop the coverage without penalty. You’re locking in the option to stay covered, not an obligation.

There’s no federal penalty for going without minimum essential coverage. A handful of states (California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and DC among them) have their own mandates — if you live in one, we’ll flag how that affects the math before you enroll.

Many plans include prescription benefits or a drug discount program, but schedules vary a lot — some cover generics well and brand names less so. If a specific medication matters to you, tell your agent up front and we’ll check it against each plan’s schedule before you choose.

Not everywhere. States set their own short-term rules — some allow the full ~36-month structure, some cap terms shorter, and a few don’t permit these plans at all. Your ZIP code is the first thing we check, and if it’s not available we’ll show you what is.