Believe it or not, an individual health insurance plan is sometimes a better fit for a health insurance customer who is looking for temporary coverage than health insurance coverage specifically designed for the short term.

The typical individual health insurance policy allows you to pay as you go and you can cancel the health plan at any time without penalty. Conversely with some short term health insurance plans you pay for 30, 90 or even 180 days of health coverage in advance, and if you cancel the policy before these time limits are reached, the premiums are not prorated and you will receive no refund.

If you are not sure exactly how long you will need protection, if in-between jobs for instance, an individual health insurance plan might serve you better. Individual health plans also typically provide richer coverage than short term health plans, with many providing value added health benefits such as discounts on alternative medicine, and other related services. Short term health insurance coverage makes sense for the health care shopper when coverage is needed immediately, underwriting for short term plans are much less stringent and policy can generally be in-force within a day or two, whereas an individual health plan can take several weeks in some cases. Temporary health plans also are the better option when you have a defined length of time that you need health coverage for, for instance if you recently started a new job and the employer sponsored coverage won’t begin for 90 days after your start date.

In any event, either health care option, whether you choose a individual health plan or short term plan is preferable to obtaining coverage through COBRA.

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Comparing plans before you buy, Some good sites that allow you to shop and compare both individual health insurance plans, and short term coverage from top health insurance companies are healthinsurancesort.com, ehealthinsurance.com, and insureme.com. When you are ready to make your purchase decision, and are speaking to a licensed agent representing the carrier, make sure you ask about the topics discussed above.