Home / Short-term medical / Michigan

Short-Term Health Insurance in Michigan

Michigan limits plans to 185 days, nonrenewable, one of the shortest windows in the country. They're issued without underwriting but don't cover pre-existing conditions.

At a glance

Short-term plans are available in Michigan but tightly limited: 185 days or less, and no more than 185 days in any 365-day period with the same insurer.
Plans must be nonrenewable — roughly six months of short-term coverage per year, one of the shortest windows in the country.
Unusually, Michigan short-term plans are issued immediately without medical underwriting, but they do not cover pre-existing conditions and aren't required to include essential health benefits.
Michigan uses HealthCare.gov and expanded Medicaid through the Healthy Michigan Plan.

What Michigan allows

Michigan permits short-term health insurance but caps it hard. Under MCL 500.2213b, the term is 185 days or less (9(a)), and coverage is limited to 185 days out of any 365-day period with the same insurer (9(b)) — a rolling annual cap that can't be stacked. Plans must be nonrenewable. In practical terms, that's roughly six months of short-term coverage per year, one of the shortest windows in the country.

Michigan also differs from most states in how these plans are issued. A short-term plan is issued immediately without medical underwriting (9(d)), but it does not cover pre-existing conditions (9(c)) and is not required to include essential health benefits.

Two Michigan-specific market rules shape what's actually offered: an insurer may not issue short-term coverage if its short-term premiums would exceed 10% of its collective gross written premiums for individual health policies in Michigan (2213b(12)), and insurers must file an annual short-term premium report with the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) by March 31.

For context, DIFS Bulletin 2025-22-INS (effective October 1, 2025) reaffirms the 185-day cap and notes that the 2024 federal rule requirements are no longer enforced; the underlying Michigan statute is unchanged. The federal 3-month / 4-month rule is currently not being enforced, but Michigan's 185-day cap is the binding constraint here.

Your options in Michigan

If you're a Michigan resident weighing your choices, here's what's realistically on the table (described as coverage types, not specific products):

Short-term health insurance — brief coverage, capped at about 185 days per year and nonrenewable. A short gap-filler only, not a long-term option in this state.
ACA marketplace plans — comprehensive major-medical coverage sold through HealthCare.gov. For any need beyond a few months, this is the realistic route: it covers essential health benefits, can't turn you down for pre-existing conditions, and may come with income-based subsidies.
Fixed indemnity and other excepted benefits — supplemental coverage that pays limited, defined benefits. (Per DIFS Bulletin 2025-22-INS, the 2024 federal fixed-indemnity consumer-notice requirement is no longer enforced, though Michigan form and rate review still applies.) Not a substitute for major medical.
Medicaid — Michigan expanded Medicaid through the Healthy Michigan Plan, so more low-income adults qualify. It's worth checking your eligibility before buying a short-term plan.

As an independent, carrier-neutral brokerage, we don't steer you to any single insurer — and in a state that caps short-term coverage this tightly, we'll tell you honestly when an ACA plan or Medicaid is the better fit.

How enrollment works here

Michigan uses the federally facilitated marketplace at HealthCare.gov for ACA plans. Enrollment there works on a schedule:

Open Enrollment happens once a year, typically each fall through early winter, for coverage that starts the following January.
Special Enrollment Periods are available year-round if you have a qualifying life event — for example, losing job-based coverage, moving, getting married, or having a baby.

Short-term health insurance is different: you can apply any time of year, but in Michigan coverage is capped at 185 days in any 365-day period with the same insurer, and plans are nonrenewable. If you need coverage beyond about six months, an ACA plan (with a Special Enrollment Period if you qualify) or Medicaid is the realistic route.

What it costs

We don't quote premiums on this page — prices change and depend on your specific situation — but here are the factors that drive the cost of coverage in Michigan:

Your age — older applicants generally pay more.
Where you live in Michigan — pricing varies by county and rating area.
Tobacco use — often affects the rate.
Who's covered — an individual, a couple, or a whole family.
The deductible and coverage level you choose — lower out-of-pocket exposure usually means a higher premium.
The length of the term — short-term pricing reflects how long the coverage runs, and in Michigan that's capped at 185 days.
How these plans are issued — Michigan short-term plans are issued without medical underwriting, so your health history doesn't factor into eligibility the way it does in underwritten states; just remember pre-existing conditions are not covered.

For ACA marketplace plans, cost works differently: your premium depends on income (which determines subsidy eligibility), age, county, tobacco use, and the metal level you pick. Because Michigan expanded Medicaid through the Healthy Michigan Plan, some lower-income residents may qualify for that coverage instead.

MG Matthew T. Giberti Licensed Expert · NPN 20698856 · Updated July 2026

Short-term health insurance is not major medical coverage and is not minimum essential coverage under the Affordable Care Act. In Michigan these plans are issued without medical underwriting but do not cover pre-existing conditions, and they are not required to cover essential health benefits such as maternity care, prescription drugs, mental health services, or preventive care. They may impose annual or lifetime dollar limits. Short-term coverage does not satisfy any applicable coverage requirements and does not qualify you for ACA premium subsidies.

GetHealthPlans.com is operated by MTG Insurance Agency, an independent, carrier-neutral brokerage. We do not issue insurance and are not a government agency or the health insurance marketplace. Regulatory details on this page reflect Michigan law and Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services guidance as of the last-reviewed date and can change; confirm current terms and the specific plan's approved form before you enroll.