Short term medical plans can be set in place – immediately, in some cases – subject to the insurers underwriting rules; primarily, the fact that they do not cover pre-existing conditions. 

Beyond that serious drawback, they are structured like most major medical plans with deductibles, co-insurance, and in many cases, doctor office visit and prescription co-pays.

Premiums average about 50% less than ‘Obamacare’ plans and usually have no network restrictions.

Candidates for this coverage might include:

• new employees in their 30-60 day waiting period
• part time or seasonal workers
• employees’ children turning 26 and aging out of their parents plan
• other (healthy) COBRA candidates.

Employer sponsored group plans cover about 153 million Americans. Within each group however, many chose to waive coverage.

Could short term plans partially fill that gap?