Short term health insurance
Bridge the gaps in health insurance coverage
Short term health insurance, underwritten by Golden Rule Insurance Company, is a flexible health insurance coverage solution when you need coverage for a period of transition in your life.
Choosing a short-term health insurance plan
Short term health insurance offers you the flexible, fast coverage you need for dynamic times of change in your life. Learn how UnitedHealthcare short term plans underwritten by Golden Rule Insurance Company may help you get more of the benefits you want.1
Why choose UnitedHealthcare?
Is short term insurance for me?
Short term insurance may be for you if you're:
- Unable to apply for Affordable Care Act (ACA), also called Obamacare, coverage because you missed Open Enrollment and you don't qualify for Special Enrollment
- Waiting for your ACA coverage to start
- Looking for coverage to bridge you to Medicare
- Turning 26 and coming off your parent's insurance
- Between jobs or waiting for benefits to begin at your new job
- Healthy and under 65
For these situations and many others, Short term health insurance, also called temporary health insurance or term health insurance, might be right for you. It can fill that gap in coverage until you can choose a longer term solution.
The benefits of short term health insurance
Short term health insurance offers you just the kind of flexible, fast coverage you need for those dynamic times of change in your life. With short term medical plans1 you can:
- Get covered fast, as soon as the day after application
- Pick your deductible amount from several options
- Pick your length of coverage, 1 to nearly 12 months in some states2
- Drop coverage with no penalty if a more permanent health insurance option comes along
- You may be able to apply for another short term health insurance plan when the first one finishes, if needed3
- Access an extensive network of health care professionals, with 1.5 million physicians and other health care professionals and approximately 7,000 hospitals and other facilities.4
Keep these short term insurance reminders in your long-term memory
With short term health insurance you are not buying an ACA health plan. That means you need to keep a few things in mind as you plan your coverage needs:
- ACA health plans are guaranteed issue, meaning you cannot be denied coverage based on preexisting conditions
- Short term insurance plans are not guaranteed issue, do not cover preexisting conditions, and you must answer a series of medical questions to apply for coverage
- ACA health plans are required to cover 10 essential health benefits, including maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance abuse disorder services
- Short term insurance plans do not have coverage requirements, so plans vary in what they cover. Check your plan details carefully
So, it’s true that you may save money by choosing short term health insurance. Just be sure you know what you are buying, and that it’s a good choice for you. For the right situation, short term insurance plans can definitely provide fast, flexible, temporary health insurance coverage that fits your needs.
What are Short Term Medical Plans?

The UnitedHealthcare commitment to the short term health insurance option hasn’t just come about with recent shifts in the health insurance market. Golden Rule Insurance Company, which became a part of UnitedHealthcare in 2003 and still underwrites the short term medical insurance product today, has been offering short term insurance plans for over 30 years.

Note: This coverage is not “minimum essential coverage” as defined by the ACA.
The federal tax payment for not having minimum essential coverage no longer applies, but tax penalties may still exist at the state level. Consult your tax advisor for more information.
Have more questions?
Looking for longer coverage?
TriTerm Medical is short term insurance with coverage lasting nearly 3 years.