Short-Term and Other Policies Sold Outside of the Marketplace

I notice some insurers offer the option to buy two or more consecutive short-term policies with no medical underwriting required after the first application. So does that mean I’d be covered if I buy a sequence of short-term policies and then get sick?

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Probably not.  Each of the consecutive policies that you would buy would likely include a pre-existing condition exclusion.  So, for example, if you are healthy enough to buy two consecutive short-term policies today, and then you get cancer while covered under the first policy, your cancer would be considered a pre-existing condition when the second policy starts and so would be excluded from coverage under the second policy.

By contrast, a qualified health plan sold through the Marketplace will never exclude pre-existing conditions.

While we have made every effort to provide accurate information in these FAQs, people should contact the health insurance Marketplace or Medicaid agency in their state for guidance on their specific circumstances.

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