It is health insurance designed for temporary coverage. Usually, it is purchased by people who cannot apply for a full coverage insurance, who are waiting for their full coverage insurance to start, or those who will only be in the U.S. for a short period of time.

Short Term insurance covers basically emergencies and accidents. Depending on the plan, it might offer partial coverage on diagnostic exams. This type of insurance usually does not cover pre-existing conditions, maternity care, or newborn care. It does not cover routine procedures such as doctor visits or routine tests, like checkups.

You can make weekly, monthly, or annual payments with the company of your choosing after answering a few questions regarding your health. Based on those answers, the company may approve you or deny you.

Even though these types of plans are more restricted than full coverage plans, this type of insurance can be advantageous, as it may save you hundreds of thousands of dollars in cases of emergencies and/or accidents. A few hours in the emergency room can cost dozens of thousands of dollars. If a hospital stay or surgery is also deemed necessary on top of the emergency room visit, that cost can sky-rocket if you do not have any sort of insurance. Having a Short Term policy might help you save money and energy, as well as avoiding irreversible financial impacts on you and your family.