The day comes when you lose your job and, at the same time, you also lose your health insurance plan. Luckily, short term health insurance is one thing which can keep you going until you are able to [get|secure|find a new job. A short term health insurance policy will cover your health care needs from the time you lose your job until you become eligible for benefits from your new employer.

But just where do you start looking for a short term health insurance policy? Like a lot of people today, your first stop will probably be one of the major internet search engines and these will provide you with a laundry list of directories. These directories each give you a list of insurers which offer temporary health insurance and even a hendful which will actually explain precisely what it is. Knowing just what temporary health insurance is and, equally important, what it is not will help you in shopping for the right policy and keep you from getting scammed.

Firstly, every state has its own brand of short term medical insurance policy to assist you in holding onto the medical insurance from a previous employer. For example, in Minnesota the plan is called a Cobra Plan and covers you until you get a new position. By the way, state law also requires an employer to tell you about your eligibility for Cobra coverage.

Commercial short term medical insurance plans generally run from one to twelve months, though many providers restrict their plans to six months, and will provide most of the same benefits which are provided on their long term plans. The greatest difference that you will see is that the contract is not renewable and if you want to hang on to your coverage you will need to take out a further new policy. Bear in mind that this type of policy is intended only for short term use and not for long term use.

A few things which will most likely not be covered are preventative care and wellness checks and short term medical plans will also not normally provide cover for dental or optical care. They are also often quite strict on denying coverage for pre existing conditions. You can get coverage extended to your your dependents. You will find also that most plans will be priced from about $25 to $100 a month.

Bearing this in mind, you can begin to trawl through the results of your search and examine the lists of insurers to find one which will meet your needs.

Yet another very good place to look for cover is to your current home or car insurance provider as it is possible that they will also carry a medical insurance policy which you can get. And, if you are getting the policy through your existing insurance company, there might well be an additional discount available to you for having multiple plans with them.

Lastly, remember that your local phone book might also list several places for you to purchase short term health insurance cover in your area.