Direct answer: Short-term health insurance is temporary medical coverage that is not ACA-compliant major medical insurance.
- How long it can last in Florida: State law allows a first term of less than 12 months and no more than 36 months in total, counting renewals.
- What it can leave out: Insurers can ask health questions, decline applicants, and exclude pre-existing conditions. They can also leave out benefits such as maternity care, mental health care and prescriptions, and cap what they pay.
- What drives the cost: The premium depends on your age, your health answers, the deductible and benefit limits you choose, and the insurer. Premium tax credits never apply.
- When it fits: Use it only for a short, documented gap, after you have ruled out a Marketplace plan, COBRA or employer coverage.
Short-term vs Marketplace plan
| Short-term health insurance | ACA Marketplace plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-existing conditions | Can be excluded | Must be covered |
| Health questions and declines | Allowed | Not allowed |
| Essential health benefits (maternity, mental health, prescriptions, preventive care) | Not required | Required |
| Annual or lifetime dollar caps | Allowed | Not allowed on essential health benefits |
| Premium tax credit | Never | Available if you qualify |
| Out-of-pocket maximum | Set by the policy | Federal ceiling of $12,000 self-only / $24,000 family for 2027 plans |
| When you can enroll | Any time the insurer accepts you | Open Enrollment or a Special Enrollment Period |
| Losing it may qualify you for a Marketplace Special Enrollment Period | Generally no | Losing Marketplace coverage can qualify |
How long can short-term coverage last in Florida?
Florida Statute 627.6426 defines short-term health insurance as coverage that:
- ends less than 12 months after the original effective date, and
- lasts no more than 36 months in total, counting renewals or extensions.
A 2024 federal rule set shorter limits for policies sold on or after September 1, 2024: 3 months at first and 4 months in total. On August 7, 2025, the federal Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury said they would not prioritize enforcing that limit while they write a new rule. They also noted that states may set their own limits. The terms actually offered depend on each insurer's filings, so get the term and renewal limits in writing before you buy.
What Florida requires the insurer to disclose
Florida law requires every short-term contract to include a written disclosure that you sign when you buy it. The disclosure must state:
- that the coverage does not have to meet ACA requirements,
- the contract's length, including any waiting period,
- which essential health benefits it does not provide, and
- any exclusion of pre-existing conditions.
Read that page before you pay. If a benefit is not listed, assume it is not covered.
What drives the cost?
No official source publishes average short-term prices for Florida, and this page will not guess at one. The price depends on:
- your age and health answers, and whether a rider or exclusion is added
- the deductible, coinsurance and maximum benefit you choose
- the length of the term
- the insurer
Compare the price against a Marketplace quote after any premium tax credit. For context, CMS reports that Polk County residents who picked a Marketplace plan during 2026 Open Enrollment paid an average of $97 a month after credits, against an average full premium of $768 (CMS 2026 OEP County-Level Public Use File). Your amount depends on your income, age and plan. 2027 prices appear on HealthCare.gov on November 1, 2026. If Marketplace income questions are a blocker, see Florida options outside income-based Marketplace enrollment before treating short-term medical as the only alternative.
When a short-term plan is a poor fit
- You have an ongoing condition, take regular prescriptions, or are pregnant or planning to be.
- You may qualify for a Marketplace Special Enrollment Period because you just lost job-based coverage (subject to eligibility).
- You can elect COBRA and need to keep the same doctors mid-treatment.
- You plan to keep renewing it for years in place of ACA coverage.
When people use it anyway
A short-term plan can bridge a gap of a few weeks or months when no Special Enrollment Period applies, for example between missing Open Enrollment and the next January 1. Losing short-term coverage generally does not open a Marketplace Special Enrollment Period. Plan the exit date from the start.
Bring the quote and the full outline of coverage. Call (863) 474-2500 David will compare it with the Marketplace and COBRA options you have.
Related reading
- What short-term health insurance does not cover
- Can I get coverage outside Open Enrollment?
- COBRA vs a Marketplace plan
- Is fixed indemnity the same as health insurance?
- Short-term medical overview
Common questions
How long can a short-term health plan last in Florida?
Florida law defines short-term health insurance as a policy with an initial term of less than 12 months and a total duration of no more than 36 months including renewals. A 2024 federal rule set shorter limits, but federal agencies said in August 2025 they would not prioritize enforcing it. Read the term and renewal limits in the policy.
Does short-term health insurance cover pre-existing conditions?
Usually not. Short-term policies can use medical underwriting and can exclude care for conditions you had before the policy started.
Can I get a premium tax credit for a short-term plan?
No. Premium tax credits apply only to plans bought through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
If my short-term plan ends, can I enroll in a Marketplace plan?
Not because of that alone. Short-term coverage is not qualifying coverage, so losing it generally does not open a Special Enrollment Period.
Sources
- Florida Statutes §627.6426, Short-term health insurance
- U.S. DOL/HHS/Treasury statement on STLDI enforcement, Aug 7, 2025
- CMS fact sheet on the 2024 STLDI final rule
- CMS, 2027 Premium Adjustment Percentage and maximum annual limitation on cost sharing (Jan 29, 2026), $12,000 / $24,000
- CMS, 2026 OEP County-Level PUF (Polk County Avg_Prm $768, Avg_Prm_Aftr_APTC $97)
- HealthCare.gov, Special Enrollment Periods
Need Help Comparing the Tradeoffs?
A review can compare the coverage gap, enrollment deadlines, plan documents, provider access, prescriptions, and total financial exposure before you apply.