Maricopa County, anchored by Phoenix and one of Arizona's most populous and fastest-growing metros, runs on technology, real estate, and a steady stream of new arrivals and job-changers. Between tech contractors, real-estate professionals working on commission, and residents in transition, plenty of people here need coverage that starts quickly and covers a defined gap. Short term health insurance is one of the tools they reach for, so here's how it actually works in Maricopa County and where it fits.

The quick answer for Maricopa County residents

Short term health insurance is available across Maricopa County. It's regulated at the state level, so Arizona's rules apply everywhere in the county: an initial term of less than 12 months (up to 364 days), renewable up to a 36-month total under Arizona statute (A.R.S. 20-1384). It's a real option for a temporary gap, but it is not an ACA plan and not minimum essential coverage, so it's a bridge, not a replacement for comprehensive coverage.

Father and teenage son at a clinic front desk going over the visit paperwork with the receptionist

Your coverage options in Maricopa County

Short term health insurance, temporary, medically underwritten coverage; in Arizona it can run up to a 36-month total. Good for a defined gap; may exclude preexisting conditions.

Extended (long duration) short term plans, Arizona's statute supports renewals toward that 36-month total, so a longer bridge is possible where a carrier offers it.

Fixed indemnity / hospital cash plans, supplemental coverage under Title 20 that pays a fixed cash amount for covered events. Not comprehensive, not a substitute for a real plan.

ACA marketplace coverage, comprehensive, guaranteed issue plans through HealthCare.gov, often with income based subsidies. This is the route for anyone who needs ongoing coverage or has health conditions.

Medicaid (AHCCCS), Arizona has expanded Medicaid, so more low income adults may qualify; it's worth checking eligibility before you assume you don't.

How Arizona's rules apply in Maricopa County

A Maricopa County short term plan follows Arizona statute (A.R.S. 20-1384): the initial term is under 12 months (up to 364 days) and the total can reach 36 months with renewals, a limit set in state law, which gives it strong footing. Arizona also requires a 14-point ACA-disclosure notice so you know what these plans don't cover, and non-renewable plans carry a 10-day full-refund right to return. They remain medically underwritten at application, can exclude preexisting conditions, and are not ACA minimum essential coverage. (The 2024 federal rule that would cap these plans at 3–4 months is currently not being enforced, so Arizona's own framework is what applies.)

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Who this fits in Maricopa County

A tech contractor between projects who needs coverage for a few months until the next assignment's benefits begin, a short term plan can bridge that gap quickly.

A real-estate agent or commissioned professional in Phoenix's active market who missed Open Enrollment and needs something now, short term can cover a defined gap while they plan for a comprehensive plan.

Someone who was just laid off and is weighing options, here, losing job based coverage usually opens a Special Enrollment Period for a comprehensive ACA plan, which is often the better long term move; short term is the stopgap in the meantime.

How to enroll from Maricopa County

Short term and fixed indemnity plans aren't tied to Open Enrollment, you can generally apply year round, directly or through a licensed broker, subject to Arizona's limits. For comprehensive coverage, Maricopa County residents use the federal marketplace at HealthCare.gov, which has an annual Open Enrollment in the fall through early winter plus Special Enrollment Periods after life events like losing coverage, moving, or having a baby. What you pay for a short term plan depends on your age, where you live in the county, tobacco use, the term length, and medical underwriting, not a fixed price.

Matthew T. Giberti Licensed Insurance Producer · National Producer Number: 20698856 About Matthew →

Short term and fixed indemnity plans are not major medical coverage and are not minimum essential coverage under the ACA; they are medically underwritten and may exclude preexisting conditions. Coverage rules reflect Arizona law as of the last updated date and can change; confirm current terms before you enroll. Last updated: 2026-07.

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Short term health insurance in ArizonaArizona statute allows an initial term under 12 months, renewable to a 36-month total. Plans may exclude preexisting conditions and must carry a notice that they aren't ACA coverage. Extended short term medical in ArizonaArizona statute allows an initial term under 12 months, renewable to a 36-month total, one of the strongest legal footings for a 36-month product. Plans can exclude preexisting conditions. Fixed indemnity insurance in ArizonaFixed indemnity pays a set cash amount per covered event or hospital day regardless of the bill, a supplement to health insurance rather than a replacement for it. Arizona regulates it as limited benefit insurance under Title 20.