Short-term health insurance: limits, warnings, and state variation

These plans are not the same as comprehensive coverage

Short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI) is temporary coverage. CMS has stated that these plans typically offer limited benefits, are generally exempt from many Affordable Care Act individual-market requirements, and may not cover pre-existing conditions. They are not a substitute for comprehensive major-medical or Marketplace coverage, and they are not available in every state.

If you need coverage for a defined gap — for example, between jobs, before a new group plan starts, or after a move — a short-term plan is one option to discuss, not an automatic fit. A licensed agent should explain exclusions, duration limits, and whether a Marketplace or private major-medical plan is more appropriate.

Federal duration rules have changed, and states matter

In March 2024, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury issued final rules that defined short-term, limited-duration insurance as coverage with an initial term of no more than three months and a maximum coverage period, including renewals or extensions, of no more than four months. Those rules also addressed “stacking” of successive policies and required a consumer notice.

On August 7, 2025, the same Departments said they intend to undertake new notice-and-comment rulemaking on that definition. Until future rulemaking is issued and applicable, they said they do not intend to prioritize federal enforcement of the 2024 definition, including the notice provision, and they encouraged states to consider a similar approach. A proposed rule was later submitted for review.

Because federal enforcement posture and state law can differ, the length of a short-term plan you can actually buy depends on your state and the carrier. Some states restrict or prohibit these plans. Do not assume a duration you saw in another state, or in an older article, applies to you.

How we handle short-term requests

This site is not a government website and does not issue short-term policies. If you request a call about short-term coverage, one licensed agency, Private Market Health, receives the request and can tell you whether a plan is offered in your state and what the current limits are. Your information is never resold. We will not ask for your Social Security number or medical history to start that call; any medical underwriting happens on the carrier’s application.

Common questions

Related guides

• Health insurance between jobs
• Health insurance outside Open Enrollment
• Missed Open Enrollment? What you can still do

Looking for a call about short-term health insurance? Read the plan page or use the form on this page.