Short-Term Health Insurance Calculator

Short-term plans are typically medically underwritten (insurers can ask about your health history and deny coverage or specific conditions), are not required to cover the ACA's essential health benefits like maternity or mental health care, and often exclude pre-existing conditions entirely. In exchange, they usually cost less per month than a marketplace plan, but that lower premium generally comes with a higher deductible, more coverage gaps, and less consumer protection.

The maximum initial term and total renewal period for short-term plans is set by federal regulation, which has changed materially between administrations, and individual states can impose their own stricter limits or prohibit these plans entirely. Because the rule you're subject to depends on both the current federal regulation and your state's own insurance code, confirm the actual maximum duration directly with the insurer rather than assuming this calculator's input range reflects what's currently available where you live.

The break-even medical expense shows the exact dollar amount of medical costs at which the plan's total cost (premiums plus out-of-pocket spending) equals what you'd have paid with no insurance at all. If your realistically expected medical costs during the coverage period are well below that break-even point, the plan may not save you money over simply paying out of pocket, especially given its typically high deductible.

Usually not — most short-term plans explicitly exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions, and because they're medically underwritten in most states, an insurer can deny the application entirely based on your health history. This is one of the most important differences from ACA marketplace plans, which cannot deny coverage or charge more based on pre-existing conditions.

These plans tend to make the most sense for a genuinely temporary, well-defined coverage gap where you're healthy, don't expect significant medical needs, and specifically need a low-premium bridge — such as between a job ending and new employer coverage starting. They're a poor fit for anyone with an existing health condition, anyone expecting significant medical costs during the gap, or anyone who might need the coverage for longer than the plan's legally permitted term.