Short Term Health Insurance In Kansas

When it comes to overall health, Kansas ranks slightly lower than the national average according to America’s Health Rankings. In an effort to improve this health status, state lawmakers have been working on several initiatives, including focusing on improving access to quality health insurance plans. For some Kansas residents, short term health insurance may provide a good option for taking control of their healthcare.

While major medical health insurance is still a priority for long-term care, short term policies can help fill the gaps in coverage for individuals and families. For those facing unemployment or other significant challenges, short term health insurance often offers a flexible and affordable solution to cover emergency medical services. Many short term policies also offer a faster approval process than traditional health insurance plans.

Right now, federal law limits short term policies to terms of three months. This was done under the Obama administration to encourage people to sign up for major medical policies during open enrollment. Short-term policies offer an attractive alternative to the young and healthy, a key demographic in ensuring that Obamacare marketplaces work. This year, the Trump administration proposed a rule that would change term limits on short term policies.

If finalized as written, the Trump administration’s proposed rule would revert the definition of “short term” to its previous state, where policies could still be considered short term up to a duration of 364 days. This would allow individuals in Kansas and the country who are unable to buy ACA-compliant health insurance plans to buy coverage for nearly a year. Individual states would still have the power to develop their own regulations and set limits for short term policies.

The state of Kansas currently limits short term health insurance plans to six months or less and has not issued a statement on whether this limit will remain in place when the new federal regulations take effect. The Kansas Insurance Department offers several resources for consumers looking for health insurance plans, including a Health Insurance Shopping guide and FAQs about the ACA and state regulations.

When looking at short term health insurance policies, be sure to understand what each policy covers and whether it is ACA compliant. Many short term plans are limited to coverage for major medical events, and none meet the requirements for minimum essential coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Carriers Offering Short Term Policies in Kansas

BlueCross Blue Shield of Kansas (SelecTemp PPO)
Humana
Standard Security Life Insurance Company
National Health Insurance Company
HCC Life Insurance Company
United Health One
National General Accident and Health

Sources:

Marketplaces located at eHealth and Agile Health Insurance websites
http://www.ksinsurance.org/healthlife/health/health-faqs.php
http://www.ksinsurance.org/documents/department/publications/abcs-of-insurance.pdf
https://www.healthinsurance.org/so-long-to-limits-on-short-term-plans/