Private PPO vs. Short-Term Health Plans
Short-term medical is the cheapest thing on the shelf, and the cheapness is the whole story. It exists to cover a catastrophe during a gap of a few months — not to be anyone's health insurance.
- Pre-existing conditions covered
- Enroll any day of the year
- One licensed advisor, no pressure
- No cost to talk it through
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Start with your state.
Plans from nationally recognized carriers
Carriers include UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, Anthem, Allstate Health, Oscar.
What a private PPO can do that most plans can't.
Pre-existing conditions covered
An advisor tells you straight which plans will take your health history.
Enroll any day of the year
No six-week window. Coverage can start when you need it to.
Broad nationwide PPO networks
Keep your own doctor in most cases and stay covered across state lines.
Never sold to third parties
Your details go to one licensed advisor — no lead resale, no robocalls.
Short-Term Medical
What it does well
- The lowest premiums available, by a wide margin
- Approval and start dates are fast — often next-day
- Genuinely useful for a defined one-to-three-month gap
Where it falls short
- Pre-existing conditions are typically excluded outright
- Hard benefit caps; a serious claim can blow straight through them
- Prescriptions, maternity and mental health are usually excluded
- Duration is limited and varies by state; renewal isn't guaranteed
Private PPO
What it does well
- Real, ongoing coverage rather than gap insurance
- Pre-existing conditions can be covered depending on underwriting
- Broad nationwide PPO networks and genuine benefit depth
- Renews — it isn't a countdown clock
Where it falls short
- Higher premium than short-term (because it covers more)
- Underwriting takes longer than a short-term approval
If you're covering a known two-month gap and you're healthy, short-term does the job for very little money. For anything longer, or if you have a condition that needs covering, short-term's exclusions are where people get badly hurt — a private PPO is the honest answer.
When the other option wins
A short, defined gap — new job starting in six weeks, coverage beginning on the first — and no ongoing conditions or prescriptions.
Everything above is general information, not advice about your situation and not a price offer. Plan availability, pricing and underwriting vary by state and carrier.
Three steps, and you're never locked in.
- 01
Tell us the basics
State, household, pre-existing conditions and timing. About thirty seconds — no SSN, no date of birth.
- 02
A licensed advisor reaches out
One advisor, not six. Real options, real costs and the honest trade-offs, in plain English.
- 03
You decide
Enroll if it fits, or don't. No cost to talk and no obligation at any point.
See what you actually qualify for.
Four questions, one licensed advisor, a straight answer. No cost, no obligation, no pressure.
Secure & private. By submitting you agree to be contacted by one licensed advisor.
Licensed in all 50 states
Your advisor is licensed where you live.
One advisor, no robocalls
Your details go to one person, not a call list.
Never sold to third parties
256-bit SSL encrypted from the first click.
No cost, no obligation
Talking it through is free. You decide.
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