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Assurant Health - Short Term Medical
Short Term Medical Insurance is temporary medical insurance designed for people who are between permanent health plans. Coverage can be purchased for as few as 30 days or as many as 365 days. The application process is simple with only a few qualifying questions to answer and coverage can begin as early as the next day. Because of their quality benefits and competitive rates, Assurant Health is the #1 seller of short-term medical plans in the U.S.
Short Term Medical Insurance is perfect for individuals who are:
- Recent college graduates
- Between jobs or laid off
- Waiting for employer-sponsored coverage
- Losing dependent status
- Looking for a lower-cost alternative to COBRA
- Recently retired and not eligible for Medicare
- On strike
Flexible Plan Options
Assurant short-term medical plans allow you flexibilty to design the plan that's right for you. You can choose your:
- Length of coverage - Anywhere from 30-365 days
- Deductible amount - $250, $500, $1000, $2500, or $5000
- Coinsurance - 100%, 80%/20%, or 50%/50% after deductible
Freedom to use any Doctor or Hospital
Assurant short-term medical plans allow you the freedom to visit any doctors and hospitals you choose. The plan benefits including the deductible and coinsurance are the same for any licensed doctor or hospital so you will not be penalized by "out-of-network" benefits. However, you can get PPO network discounts and reduce your medical bills an average of 20%-35% by using doctors and hospitals in the PHCS Healthy Directions network.
What's Covered
Short Term Medical Insurance plans allow you to choose any doctor or hospital and do not limit you to in-network providers. Once your deductible and coinsurance amounts have been met, the short-term medical plan pays for all covered medical, hospital, and surgical surgical expenses. This includes physician services, prescriptions, x-rays, laboratory services, inpatient hospital stays, inpatient hospital surgeries, anesthesia services, skilled nursing facility care and rehabilitation up to a lifetime maximum of $2 million.
Prescription Coverage
Prescriptions are covered under Assurant short term medical plans, but there are no copayments. When you present your STM prescription card, which is part of your ID card, at a participating pharmacy, you will receive a negotiated disounted and then will be subject to deductible and coinsurance amounts. Below are some real-life savings examples of some commonly used precriptions with the Short Term Medical prescription drug card.
|
Drug |
Strength and quantity |
Retail price |
Price using card |
Percentage savings |
| Lipitor | 10 mg, qty 30 | $96.99 | $69.99 | 28% |
| Levaquin | 500 mg, qty 10 | $145.99 | $98.79 | 32% |
| Nexium | 20 mg, qty 30 | $179.99 | $125.89 | 30% |
| Singulair | 10 mg, qty 30 | $124.99 | $88.24 | 29% |
| Zyrtec | 10 mg, qty 30 | $83.99 | $56.59 | 33% |
Benefit Exclusions
Short Term Medical Insurance coverage is designed to protect you in the event of an unexpected illness or injury. Because of this, medical insurance coverage for preventive care, pre-existing conditions, physicals, pregnancy, immunizations, dental or eye care services are not covered by short term medical plans. Any medical expense incurried outside the U.S. or Canada is also excluded from temporary insurance plans. Individuals that need medical coverage outside the country should get an international travel insurance policy.
Payment Options
For short-term plans, Assurant gives the option of either paying for the entire amount up front, or making a monthly payment. You can pay with either Visa or Master Card, automatic charge to a checking account, or by check.
Single payment option: This is ideal if you know the exact number of days that your coverage is needed. If you make a single, up-front payment, you save about 20% on your premium (compared to monthly payments). The minimum number of days you may apply for is 30 days, the maximum is 365 days. No refunds are available after the 10-day free look period.
Monthly payment option: If you are unsure of how long you will need coverage, this option would be the best for you. The "pay as you go" option gives you the flexibility to continue coverage for as long as it is needed, or simply stop payments and discontinue the plan once your temporary health insurance need ends.
If you pay your initial 35 day premium by MasterCard or VISA, each additional 30 days of coverage will be automatically charged to your account for up to 365 days. If your temporary medical insurance need ends prior to this date, simply call 1-800-800-5453 and the automatic account charge will be stopped. Seven day advance notice is required to ensure future account charges are stopped.
If you choose to pay monthly by the automatic charge to checking account, all subsequent monthly payments will be automatically debited from your checking account for up to 365 days. If your short term health insurance needs end prior to this date, simply call 1-800-800-5453 and we will stop the automatic account charge.
Purchasing an Additional Short-Term Plan
Short term health insurance plans are not renewable. However, if you need temporary health insurance beyond your policy period, you may apply for a new plan under the following circumstances:
- No claims were submitted while covered under a previous short term medical insurance plan
- There has been no significant change to your health
There is no limit on the amount of Assurant Health short-term policies you can purchase, but any previous or current health condition or symptom will be considered a pre-existing medical condition that will not be covered under a new plan. For example, if you brake your leg while covered under a short-term plan and you need to purchase an additional short-term plan, the new short-term plan will not cover any claims related to the broken leg.