Whether your medical situation has changed, you’ve moved to a new state or you missed open enrollment, you have options for temporary coverage. In California, short-term health insurance plans lasting less than 12 months have been banned since 2019 to protect people with preexisting conditions, but you can enroll in a traditional plan for a short time. With major providers, you pay monthly with no long-term commitment, so you can stay covered for as long as you need and cancel at any time.
Selection Criteria for the Best Health Insurance Solutions
The best health insurance agencies have licensed agents available to answer your questions and help you decide on a plan. They should be licensed through the state and certified with Covered California, which is the state’s official health insurance marketplace. Selling insurance without a license is illegal, so anyone who does it doesn’t have your best interests at heart.
The best companies have multiple flexible policies with various premiums, network restrictions and out-of-pocket expenses. Customization is a great feature. Your budget and health needs are unique, so you want to be able to compare plenty of options.
Reviewing health insurance doesn’t have to be complicated, time-consuming or confusing. The application process should be fast and free. The best agencies let you review health plans without entering your contact information so you can get quotes quickly.
3 Solutions to Temporary Coverage Needs in California
These three companies offer the best alternatives to short-term health insurance in California.
- Health for California
The best way to buy plans similar to short-term health insurance in California is through Health for California, which offers multiple plans at the best prices in the state. It makes the process as easy as possible — you can get a quote within 30 seconds and finish applying in five minutes. You don’t need to input your credit card or contact information to get a quote.
Health Plans
This agency offers individual and family plans, child-only health plans, group and small business plans, and Medicare and senior plans through brand-name providers like Anthem Blue Cross, Kaiser Permanente and IEHP. You can get supplemental, health maintenance organization (HMO) or Bronze plans for just-in-case coverage at the lowest prices.
All agents are licensed by the California Department of Insurance and certified by Covered California. They can help you understand the complexities of health insurance.
Key Features
| Plan Pricing | Starting at $0 monthly |
| Customer Service | M – F from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. PST |
- SGIC
With Southern Guaranty Insurance Co., you customize plans to fit your requirements and budget. It has a nationwide network, a personalized member portal and multiple flexible plans that can meet your short-term health needs.
Health Plans
If you are 65 or older, you can take advantage of its Medicare supplement insurance, which helps protect your savings if you have an unexpected medical event. There aren’t restrictive networks — you can go to specialists if you need. Better yet, plans are standardized, so your benefits stay the same year after year.
SGIC also offers limited and fixed indemnity insurance, which helps if you need help affording major medical insurance or want extra coverage for expenses. You can choose any provider or hospital, so you can keep your primary care physician (PCP) if you’d like.
Key Features
| Plan Pricing | Contact for pricing information |
| Customer Service | Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week |
- Pivot Health
All of Pivot Health’s offerings are designed to help you transition through whicever stage of life you’re in while maintaining coverage. Its supplemental and limited-duration plans provide peace of mind when the unexpected occurs.
Health Plans
Its supplemental health insurance helps you pay for specific medical events or items your existing plan doesn’t cover by providing cash assistance. You can enroll as an individual, a family, a business owner or a self-employed contractor. Whatever you choose, you get to keep your current PCP.
Benefits include free, unlimited consultations with board-certified doctors through phone or video calls. You also get discounts on generic drugs with a Pivot Health discount prescription drug card or digital coupon. Savings of up to 75% are available at over 66,000 pharmacies.
Key Features
| Plan Pricing | Starting at $30 monthly |
| Customer Service | M – F from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and weekends from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. PST |
Alternatives to Short-Term Health Insurance Solutions
California’s population is huge. If it were a country, it would have the 38th-largest population in the world. Like millions of other Californians, you might be in between jobs, not yet eligible for Medicare or coming off your parents’ insurance. Whatever your reason for wanting to fill gaps in your coverage, you’re not alone.
In this state, you must have health insurance to avoid paying a penalty when filing taxes. Whether you want to fill the gaps in your existing coverage or avoid paying more during tax season, you need to know the best alternatives to short-term health insurance in California.
Indemnity Health Plan
Indemnity medical insurance provides cash benefits regardless of what your hospital bills actually are. It creates a financial safety net for you by reducing out-of-pocket expenses for X-rays, wellness care, outpatient visits and ICU stays.
This is a great option if you’re struggling to cover your deductible before insurance kicks in or if you unexpectedly go out of network to deal with a medical emergency. You can apply at any time, so it helps cover gaps in coverage.
Health Maintenance Organization Plan
With an HMO plan, you have a primary care physician whom you visit for annual physicals and when you’re sick. They can refer you to in-network specialists if they think you need additional treatment. These plans tend to be affordable if you stay within the network, offering low monthly premiums and minimal out-of-pocket costs.
Supplementary Health Plan
Supplemental health insurance helps you pay for specific medical events your existing coverage doesn’t cover. When you can’t meet your deductible or don’t have enough cash to pay the bill, it can provide additional cash assistance. It’s excellent for accidents or critical illnesses.
Anyone can enroll — individuals, families, business owners and self-employed people — since it was created to fill gaps. Better yet, you can get care without worrying what’s in-network.
Choosing Between the Best Health Insurance Agencies
Typically, you need to wait for open enrollment to change your health plan. However, if you recently experienced a qualifying life event, you can use special enrollment to sign up for something new.
What plan is right for you? Compare the out-of-pocket expenses and premiums. If you visit the doctor often, a lower copay might be easier to manage. However, you’ll spend more monthly. Special alternatives like HMO plans may be a better fit if you have specific needs. Health for California offers a wide variety of plans at the lowest prices, but you should carefully review your options before making a commitment.
Beyond price, you should consider provider eligibility, network resources and medication coverage. If you want to keep your current doctor, ensure they’re in-network first. The same applies to any medications you take regularly — make sure they’re covered. You must understand the coverage limits and any exclusions related to preexisting conditions.
| Companies | Health for California | SGIC | Pivot Health |
| Experience | Since 2004 | Since 1952 | Since 2016 |
| Licensed Agents | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Based In | Santa Rosa, California | Clearwater, Florida | Scottsdale, Arizona |
Find Coverage That Meets Your Health and Budget Needs
While there is no way to buy short-term health insurance in California, you have plenty of other options. These agencies will streamline the application process and help you find coverage at an affordable rate. You can get free quotes online. If you need more personalized assistance, you can reach out to the customer service teams.
