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Online Texas Health Insurance Quotes
Individuals in Texas with a family or business looking to buy affordable health insurance coverage online to bridge the temporary gap until the next ACA healthcare exchange open enrollment period have many insurance options at their disposal.
Until Open Enrollment starts, term health insurance could be your best option because you can get a free quote and buy it online with coverage starting by the next day that is temporary, plus you can cancel it anytime!
Please review the following information to help you make the best decision as you compare online health insurance plans:
What Health Insurance Options Does Texas Have?
- The ACA/Obamacare healthcare exchange is available for sign up during the 2020 Open Enrollment Period, which begins November 1st, 2019.
- Short Term Medical Insurance plans are a temporary option available year round in Texas and coverage can last up to 364 days to bridge the gap until the next Open Enrollment Period.
- Fixed Hospital Indemnity Insurance offers cash reimbursements for covered medical events like emergency room visits, but they are not major medical coverage and should be used ONLY as a supplement to cover out of pocket costs from a more comprehensive health plan.
- Medicare is a government sponsored insurance program for Texans age 65 and older that has four parts, A, B, C, and D.
- Medicaid is government sponsored insurance for those with qualifying incomes. Learn more here.
How to Get Health Insurance in Texas Now
Unless it’s Open Enrollment, which begins November 1st 2019, a Texas short term medical insurance plan can get you covered by tomorrow.
Short term medical insurance plans usually cost much less than the ACA healthcare marketplace plans in Texas and there are 3 reasons they can provide coverage starting around $99 a month, depending on age:
- Short term medical insurance plans do not cover all of the ten essential benefits of the ACA. These are temporary health insurance plans are intended to fill the gap between the open enrollment period and qualifying events.
- STM health insurance plans do not cover significant areas of medical expenses that are factored into ACA compliant health plans-- namely pre-existing conditions, maternity, and comprehensive mental health services.
- Prescription drugs are also not typically covered by most STM plans.
So for those reasons, STM plans end up being less expensive and not appropriate for individuals and families seeking comprehensive coverage.
For a more detailed comparison of how short term medical insurance plans differ from ACA plans, here is a comprehensive article on STM health insurance.
Does Short Term Medical Insurance Cover Pre-Existing Conditions?
No but conditions that develop while you have an STM plan will be covered for the length of the policy term.
When you apply for a new policy before the end of the existing term, the underwriting process would then determine that the new conditions would no longer be covered (because they have now gone from “new” to “pre-existing”) so you would no longer qualify for another short term medical plan.
This is why it is recommended that people buy a “pre-ex waiver” where available so if they need an additional plan, they still have coverage for these conditions. Some states require your subsequent plan from the same carrier to automatically cover the condition you developed in your first plan, so it’s imperative to check.
Important Changes to Texas Health Insurance Laws
Prior to the Affordable Care Act becoming law, short term medical insurance plans could last up to a year and there were fewer restrictions on reapplying for a new plan depending on your state. From April 2017 to October 2018, the length of short term plans became limited to a 3-month duration. There was also the ACA tax penalty for those who did not have a plan compliant with the Affordable Care Act
That is no longer the case:
There have been important changes within the STM industry recently that are worth noting: starting in 2019 the tax penalty for not having qualifying major medical insurance coverage has been removed. Depending on your state, you can now apply for a short term plan for up to 364 days, and obtain back-to-back policies or renewable policies for up to 36 months.
Sources: From top-left and moving clockwise--
- https://www.welfareinfo.org/poverty-rate/texas/
- https://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2018/08/07/texas-has-the-lowest-number-of-insured-adults-and-children-in-the-country
- https://www.kff.org/uninsured/fact-sheet/key-facts-about-the-uninsured-population/
- https://www.texmed.org/uninsured_in_texas/
Which Plan is Best For Me?
No matter how healthy you are now, it’s still important to have health insurance. You never know when you may need it, that’s just the nature of life - and why insurance was invented. What kind of health insurance plan is best for you depends on your specific situation.
Agile Health Insurance plans provide coverage that can start almost immediately after approval to give financial protection in case you develop an illness or are injured in an accident and receive an expensive trip to the emergency room.
Molina Healthcare, United Healthcare, and Aetna Health Insurance offer comprehensive major medical insurance healthcare plans that comply with the ACA, but remember, more benefits means higher cost.
You’re encouraged to get a free quote before committing to buy to see how much you can save with one of our plans, but you can still cancel it anytime.
Most of them offer access to wide networks and major medical services including emergency room, surgery, x-rays, labs, and doctors.
No matter what type of insurance you choose, make sure to read all the fine print about what it covers (and not covers) so you know it’ll work for you.
Texas State Health Resources
Texas offers state residents an abundance of healthcare resources to assist in their research of different health insurance options.
Texas Medicaid Program offers information and provides eligibility requirements for the state and federally funded programs
The Insure-a-Kid Program this program helps families in Texas enroll in health insurance through TexCare.
Texas Department of Insurance
P.O. Box 149104
Austin, TX 78714-9104
Phone: 800) 578-4677
http://www.tdi.texas.gov
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ACA DISCLAIMER
SHORT TERM HEALTH INSURANCE AND LIMITED BENEFIT MEDICAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE ARE INSURANCE OUTSIDE OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (OBAMACARE). THEY DO NOT COVER PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS AND DO NOT INCLUDE ALL TEN OF THE MINIMUM ESSENTIAL BENEFITS OF OBAMACARE. LIMITED BENEFIT MEDICAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS TO SUPPLEMENT MAJOR MEDICAL INSURANCE. IT IS NOT AVAILABLE IN SOME STATES LIKE NEW JERSEY AND YOU MAY NOT BE PERMITTED TO PURCHASE IT IN OTHER STATES WITHOUT PROOF OF MAJOR MEDICAL INSURANCE.
Health insurance agency services provided by Health Plan Intermediaries Holdings, LLC, or its wholly owned subsidiary HealthPocket, Inc. d/b/a AgileHealthInsurance, a Benefytt company.
The health insurance market has changed significantly over the years. Learning Center Articles reflect the market at the time they were published and may no longer be applicable.”