Best Short-Term Health Insurance Companies in 2027

The best short-term health insurance companies for 2027 are UnitedHealthcare (through Golden Rule Insurance Company), Allstate Health Solutions, Pivot Health and Everest. All four still list short-term medical plans. UnitedHealthcare’s TriTerm Medical and some Pivot plans can last nearly three years where state law allows it.

Which one is best for you depends mostly on your state. Federal rules are in limbo, so state law now decides how long a plan can last and whether you can buy one at all.

2027 at a glance

• KFF found short-term plans sold in 36 states in 2025. They were not available at all in 14 states and Washington, D.C.
• A 2024 federal rule limits new plans to 4 months in total, but federal agencies said in August 2025 they would not prioritize enforcing it. A replacement rule has not been published.
• UnitedHealthcare TriTerm Medical can run up to one day less than 3 years in states that allow it.
• Every short-term product KFF reviewed excludes pre-existing conditions, and you cannot use ACA premium tax credits to pay for one.
• ACA Open Enrollment for 2027 runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027 on HealthCare.gov. Some state exchanges use different dates.

Top Short-Term Health Insurance Companies for 2027

Here is a quick look at each carrier’s main short-term product. Term lengths are the longest the company lists. Your state may allow less.

Disclosure: Pivot Health, one of the companies below, is owned by HealthCare, Inc., the same parent company as HealthCare Insider. We review it using the same criteria as the other carriers.

What Short-Term Health Insurance Is

Short-term health insurance is temporary medical coverage for a gap, such as the time between jobs or after you miss open enrollment. Many people use it instead of paying for COBRA while they wait for new employer coverage to start.

These plans typically cover doctor visits, emergency care and hospital stays. They do not have to follow Affordable Care Act (ACA) rules, so they can turn you down for health reasons, exclude pre-existing conditions and leave out benefits like maternity care or prescriptions.

Short-term coverage can make sense if you are relatively healthy and need a bridge, such as a recent graduate waiting on an employer plan. It is a poor fit if you have a pre-existing condition or need long-term coverage. In that case, an employer plan or an ACA Marketplace plan is the safer choice.

Short-Term Health Insurance Rules for 2027

The federal rules for short-term plans are unsettled heading into 2027. Here is where things stand.

The 2024 rule. A federal rule limits short-term plans sold on or after September 1, 2024 to an initial term of 3 months. The total, including renewals, is capped at 4 months.

The August 2025 pause. On August 7, 2025, the Departments of the Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services said they do not intend to prioritize enforcement of the 2024 definition until they issue a new rule. HHS encouraged states to take the same approach.

The replacement rule. A new proposed rule has been under White House review since May 30, 2026. As of early October 2026, it has not been published, so its details are not public. Earlier expectations that it would arrive in August 2026 did not pan out.

What that means for you. For now, state law largely decides how long a plan can last. In states without their own limits, carriers are again selling longer plans, such as UnitedHealthcare’s TriTerm Medical. In states with stricter rules, you may only find short terms, or no plans at all.

The Best Short-Term Health Insurance Companies

We focused on carriers that KFF found selling short-term plans in 2025 and that still list a short-term product today. Prices depend on your age, ZIP code, deductible and health history, so get quotes before you decide.

UnitedHealthcare (Golden Rule) Short Term Medical

UnitedHealthcare sells short-term plans through UnitedHealthOne, and the plans are underwritten by Golden Rule Insurance Company. UnitedHealth Group, the parent of UnitedHealthcare, bought Golden Rule in 2003. Term lengths vary by state but can run from about 1 month to nearly 12 months.

The biggest draw is the network. You can use UnitedHealthcare’s large national provider network, with no referrals and no need to pick a primary care doctor. Most plans include prescription drug coverage, which many short-term plans leave out, and you can choose from several deductible options.

For price context, Forbes Advisor’s short-term insurance guide (last verified October 1, 2026) put average monthly UnitedHealthcare Short Term Medical costs at $132 for the Value Direct plan up to $231 for the Copay plan. Those figures reflect a 30-year-old nonsmoking woman across quotes in Orlando, Phoenix and El Paso, so your rate may be higher or lower.

UnitedHealthcare also sells accident and dental insurance you can add alongside a short-term plan. Read our full UnitedHealthcare health insurance review for more on the company.

UnitedHealthcare TriTerm Medical

TriTerm Medical is UnitedHealthcare’s extended short-term plan, also underwritten by Golden Rule. The coverage term is one day less than 3 years in states that allow it. That is far longer than a typical short-term plan.

TriTerm is built as a series of back-to-back policy terms rather than one long policy. UnitedHealthcare says premiums are expected to change for the second and third terms, so your price is not locked in for the full stretch.

TriTerm is not sold everywhere. UnitedHealthcare says it is sold only in select states, and availability can change as state rules shift. Check UnitedHealthcare’s site with your ZIP code to see if it is offered where you live.

If you are reading TriTerm Medical reviews, keep in mind that TriTerm is still short-term insurance. It does not cover pre-existing conditions for the first 12 months. Most plans have a $1 million or $2 million lifetime maximum per person, depending on the state. It does not qualify for ACA subsidies. It works best for healthy people who want one plan to cover a long gap.

Allstate Health Solutions (formerly National General)

Allstate Health Solutions is the new name for National General’s health insurance business, which was renamed in September 2022. Its Short Term Medical plans are underwritten by National Health Insurance Company and the Integon companies.

Allstate sold its group health business to Nationwide in July 2025, but individual Short Term Medical is still listed on its site. Its plans include telehealth and telemedicine benefits, subject to your deductible, copay or coinsurance. Allstate’s consumer site lists terms of 30 days to 3 months. Its May 2026 state guide shows terms up to 12 months in many states, but only 4 months total in Texas and North Carolina. Plan designs vary by state.

Pivot Health

Pivot Health sells short-term medical plans along with fixed indemnity, supplemental, dental and vision coverage. Pivot says most of its plans include built-in health care navigation and free, unlimited telemedicine. Pivot’s site lists plans from 1 month up to 1 year, but some states allow longer. In Georgia, its quotes show plans that can run for three back-to-back 364-day terms. Availability and policy length vary by state.

Pivot works with outside insurers to underwrite its plans. In Georgia, for example, its plans are underwritten by Companion Life Insurance Company, The North River Insurance Company and Pan-American Accident & Health. The underwriter can vary by state, so check your policy documents. Learn more in our Companion Life and Pivot Health review.

Disclosure: Pivot Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of HealthCare, Inc. HealthCare Insider is also part of HealthCare, Inc., the parent company of HealthCare.com.

Everest

Everest sells Everest STM, a short-term medical plan for people between other coverage. It is offered in 28 states, including Texas, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina and Wisconsin, to applicants ages 18 to 64.

Everest STM is not renewable, so you cannot extend the same policy once it ends. It offers a variety of deductible, copay and coinsurance options. Prescriptions are generally not covered unless they are given during a covered hospital stay, and dental and eye care are excluded.

Where You Can’t Buy Short-Term Health Insurance

According to KFF’s October 2025 review, short-term plans are not available at all in 14 states and Washington, D.C.:

• California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts
• Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington
• Washington, D.C.

Five of those states ban short-term sales outright: California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. The others have rules strict enough that no insurer sells there. If you live in one of these places, look at an ACA plan or one of the top ACA alternatives for 2027.

Short-Term vs. ACA Plans in 2027

Short-term plans often have lower premiums than full-price ACA plans, but they cover far less. KFF reviewed short-term products sold in 2025 and found:

• All of them exclude pre-existing conditions.
• 98% exclude maternity care.
• 48% do not cover outpatient prescription drugs.
• 40% do not cover mental health care.
• All of them cap total benefits, some as low as $100,000 per term.
• Most have no out-of-pocket maximum, or apply it to only some costs.

Two more catches matter in 2027. You cannot use ACA premium tax credits on a short-term plan. And losing a short-term plan does not give you a special enrollment period to buy Marketplace coverage, so you could be stuck until the next open enrollment.

ACA costs are rising too. Insurers proposed a median premium increase of 15% for 2027, according to Peterson-KFF. Final rates can differ from proposed rates. Use our ACA subsidy calculator to see what you might pay after tax credits.

If you want low monthly premiums and some protection against a big medical bill, a catastrophic plan may be another option. See our guide to short-term medical vs. catastrophic plans.

How to Choose a Short-Term Health Insurance Plan

Use this checklist when you compare quotes:

• Confirm your state. Make sure short-term plans are sold where you live and check the longest term allowed.
• Match the term to your gap. Pick a plan that lasts as long as you need, and check whether it can be renewed.
• Read the pre-existing condition rules. Find out how far back the insurer looks at your health history.
• Check prescriptions and mental health. Many plans leave these out entirely.
• Look at the benefit maximum. A low cap can leave you with large bills after a serious illness.
• Compare total costs. Look at premiums, deductibles, copays and coinsurance, not just the monthly price.
• Check the network. See if your doctors and nearby hospitals are included.
• Look at the insurer. Consider the company’s financial strength rating, how long it has been in business and what other policies it offers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is TriTerm Medical insurance?

TriTerm Medical is an extended short-term health plan from UnitedHealthcare, underwritten by Golden Rule Insurance Company. It can provide coverage for one day less than 3 years in states that allow it. Premiums are expected to change for the second and third terms. Pre-existing conditions are not covered for the first 12 months. The main applicant must be 19 to 63.

How long can a short-term plan last in 2027?

It depends on your state. A 2024 federal rule limits new plans to 4 months in total, but federal agencies said in August 2025 they would not prioritize enforcing it, and no replacement rule has been published. In states without their own limits, plans can run from about 1 month to nearly 12 months, and some plans, like UnitedHealthcare’s TriTerm and Pivot’s plans in Georgia, can last nearly 3 years.

Is short-term insurance available in my state?

KFF found short-term plans sold in 36 states in 2025. They were not available in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington or Washington, D.C. Carrier availability also varies, so check with each company using your ZIP code.

Does short-term insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

Usually not. Every short-term product KFF reviewed excludes pre-existing conditions. UnitedHealthcare’s TriTerm covers them only after 12 months on the plan. If you have an ongoing health issue, an ACA Marketplace plan is the better option, since it cannot deny coverage or charge more based on your health.

Can I switch from short-term to an ACA plan?

Yes, but timing matters. You can enroll in an ACA plan during Open Enrollment, which runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027 on HealthCare.gov. Some state exchanges use different dates. Your short-term plan ending does not qualify you for a special enrollment period, so plan the switch around open enrollment for 2027.