Short Term Insurance Plans

Wisconsin Short Term Health Insurance

A Short Term Medical Plan is temporary medical insurance that provides comprehensive protection against unexpected health care health care expenses. Policies can be purchased from 30 to 364 days. The application process is simple with only a few qualifying questions to answer and coverage can begin as early as the next day.

Short Term Medical Insurance is perfect for individuals who are:

Recent college graduates
Between jobs or laid off
Waiting for employer-sponsored coverage
Losing dependent status
Looking for a lower-cost alternative to COBRA
Recently retired and not eligible for Medicare
On strike

Pivot Health Short Term Medical

Fifteen short-term plan designs available to Wisconsin residents, from low-cost catastrophic coverage to Cigna PPO plans with copays.

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Plans available in Wisconsin

Plan family	Best suited to
Economy, Choice, Standard and Deluxe	Budget-minded buyers who want to see any doctor
Core 1000 and Core 2000 PPO	Younger adults who want a network plan at a low price
Quantum PPO (copay and high-deductible versions)	People who want the richest benefits and the Cigna PPO network
Epic Base and Epic PPO	Adults and families who want to choose their own term length
Pan-American SureCare	Families and women over 40; includes a $30 office and urgent-care copay

What it costs: in September 2026, a 40-year-old man in Milwaukee (ZIP 53202) was quoted $75 to $317 a month across the 15 plans, depending on the deductible and network. Your price depends on your age, ZIP code and the plan you choose.

How long coverage lasts: plans can run up to 364 days. The Epic plans let you choose 180 days, two back-to-back 180-day terms, or 364 days.

Wisconsin rules: state law limits a short-term policy to an initial term of 12 months or less, and to 18 months in total with the same insurer. Coverage periods with a gap of 63 days or less count as consecutive. The longer plans sold in some other states are not available here.

Pivot Health Provider Networks

Cigna PPO: the Quantum PPO and Epic PPO plans use the national Cigna PPO network.
First Health: the Core PPO plans use the First Health network.
Any provider: the Economy, Choice, Standard, Deluxe, Epic Base and SureCare plans have no network. Claims are paid at a set rate based on what Medicare pays (125% for doctors and 150% for facilities), and Pivot includes protection if a provider bills you for the difference.

Before you enroll, use the “Find a Doctor” link next to each plan in the quote to check your doctors and hospitals.

Allstate Health Solutions Short Term Medical

Formerly National General. Short-term plans on the Aetna or Cigna network, with terms of up to 12 months in Wisconsin.

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How it works in Wisconsin

Individual policies: in Wisconsin you buy the policy directly. No association membership is required.
Term: choose coverage for up to 12 months.
Renewal: you can renew once, for 6 months.
Limit: your total coverage cannot exceed 18 months. After that, you must wait 63 days before buying another Allstate short-term plan.
HSA-compatible plans are available on the Aetna network version.

Allstate Health Solutions Provider Networks

In Wisconsin, Allstate Health Solutions short-term plans come in two versions:

Aetna network: uses the national Aetna network, and includes HSA-compatible plan options.
Cigna network: uses the national Cigna network.

Pick the version whose network includes your doctors. Your quote shows both, and we can check a provider for you at (855) 847-7020.

How Common Claims Are Covered: Health Access vs. Pivot Short-Term Medical

Allstate Health Access is a fixed indemnity plan: it pays set dollar amounts from the first dollar, whatever the provider charges. Pivot short-term medical works like a regular health plan: you pay a deductible, then the plan pays a share of the bill. These tables run the same three bills through both so you can see the difference.

What each plan pays

Common claim	Bill after network discount	Health Access Core pays	Health Access Plus pays	Pivot short-term pays (example)
Preventive visit + lipid panel	$268	$185	$235	$0
Outpatient rotator cuff surgery	$9,360	$6,500	$8,500	$3,488
Hospital stay for pneumonia (3 days)	$18,000	$11,505	$14,680	$10,400

What you pay

Common claim	Health Access Core: you pay	Health Access Plus: you pay	Pivot short-term (example): you pay
Preventive visit + lipid panel	$83	$33	$268
Outpatient rotator cuff surgery	$2,860	$860	$5,872
Hospital stay for pneumonia (3 days)	$6,495	$3,320	$7,600

How to read this

Health Access pays the same amount every time. It starts on the first dollar and does not depend on your deductible, but it has no out-of-pocket limit. If a bill is much larger than the set benefits, you owe the difference.
Short-term medical shares large bills. After the deductible the plan pays a percentage, and it stops what you owe at an out-of-pocket maximum, which is what protects you from a very large claim. It usually does not pay for routine care.
They can work together. Some people pair a fixed indemnity plan with major medical or short-term coverage so the cash benefits help with the deductible.

About the Pivot column: it is an illustration, not a quote. It assumes a plan with a $5,000 deductible, 80/20 coinsurance after the deductible, a $10,000 out-of-pocket maximum, the same bills as the Health Access examples, and no coverage for preventive care. Real Pivot plans vary by plan, age and state, and short-term plans exclude pre-existing conditions and have other limits. Ask us for a real quote.

Health Access figures are from Allstate's Health Access brochure (AHS_ACS_1844-4, Rev. 05/2025), based on historical claim data and First Health Network discounts. Health Access is not major medical insurance and is not ACA coverage. The preventive visit is paid after the 90-day preventive waiting period. Your costs and payouts will vary.

Get a Pivot Health Quote See Health Access Plans Call (855) 847-7020

Also from Allstate: Health Access fixed indemnity plans

First-dollar cash benefits with no deductible, coverage that can start the next day, no end date, and rates guaranteed for three years. See how Health Access compares with short-term medical in Wisconsin, plus our recommended bundles.

Compare Health Access Plans »

Short Term Health Insurance FAQ

How Is Short Term Health Insurance Different Than Obamacare?

Affordable Care Act plans typically have broader benefits than found in Short Term health insurance and, without the premium subsidies available to some qualified purchasers, cost much more than Short Term plans.

All health plans that fit in the Affordable Care Act must have “10 Essential Health Benefits.” Short Term health insurance plans, in comparison, do not have a standardized set of benefits. Short Term plans usually offer what would be described as “major medical coverage” that covers healthcare costs in the event of serious medical issues. Most Short Term plans also cover normal doctor visits for routine illnesses and injuries.

Considering the prevalence of ACA insurance plans with narrow networks, consumers should heavily research plans before enrolling to ensure that they are not putting themselves at risk for high out-of-network costs.

For those who want a wide choice of doctors, short-term insurance may be a good option. Several of the short-term plans we offer in Wisconsin have no network at all, so you can see any provider, and others use large national networks such as Cigna, Aetna and First Health. Out-of-network benefits vary by plan, so check how a plan pays before you choose it. We can help you compare.

The chart below details some of the major benefit differences between Short Term health insurance plans and Affordable Care Act plans. It is important to note that Affordable Care Act plans do not deny care for pre-existing conditions nor do they reject applicants based on health problems.

	Short Term Health Insurance Plans	Affordable Care Act Plans
Coverage availability	Apply any time and get coverage as early as the next day	Apply only during Open Enrollment (or Special Enrollment due to a qualifying event) and get coverage in 2-6 weeks
Coverage duration	In Wisconsin, terms of up to 12 months, and no more than 18 months in total with the same insurer. Many plans can be cancelled at any time.	As long as the plan is available. You can change plans during Open Enrollment (or Special Enrollment with a qualifying event)
Prescription drug coverage	Many Short Term health insurance plans provide a drug discount card but do not provide drug coverage. Some newer plans have a prescription drug coverage option for generic drugs not associated with a pre-existing condition. Brand name drugs and specialty drugs are typically uncovered.	Minimum of 1 drug per class must be covered but the minimum number of drugs per class is often more due to the benchmark chosen for each particular state.
Maternity and newborn care	Complications of maternity are covered but not standard childbirth services.	Full coverage. Applicants cannot be denied based on pregnancy as a precondition.
Mental health services	Coverage is included only when mandated at state level.	Coverage included, but states vary on their definition of “mental health” services, so while some do include learning disabilities or conditions like Autism, other states do not.
Substance use disorder services	Coverage is included only when mandated at state level.	All ACA plans have full coverage.
Rehabilitative and habilitative services	Coverage is included only when mandated at state level.	All ACA plans have full coverage.
Preventive care	Some plans have selected preventive care benefits with cost-sharing. However, most plans do not cover preventive care services.	Preventative services must be provided without cost-sharing (cf.https://www.healthcare.gov/preventive-care-benefits)
Pediatric services, oral and dental care	Coverage is included only when mandated at state level.	All ACA plans have full coverage.
Healthcare provider networks	Short Term plans typically have broad acceptance among healthcare providers. Some have a preferred network with negotiated pricing for healthcare services and a larger non-preferred network where the plans pay ‘usual and customary’ fees for covered healthcare.	These plans have been noted for a significant use of “narrow networks” to increase the ratio of enrollees to healthcare providers.
Uninsured tax penalty	None in Wisconsin. The federal penalty for going without ACA coverage has been $0 since 2019, and Wisconsin has no state penalty. Short-term plans do not count as ACA coverage, which only matters in the few states that still charge a penalty.	ACA plans count as qualifying coverage. Wisconsin residents owe no penalty either way.
Coverage of pre-existing conditions	These plans evaluate health status and pre-existing conditions when processing an insurance application and determine whether the applicant is approved or rejected for coverage.	These plans do not consider health status or pre-existing conditions when processing an insurance application.

What does short-term health insurance cover?

Short-term health insurance is major medical insurance for a set period of time. It covers doctor visits, hospitalizations, emergency care, lab tests, x-rays, and other common medical needs.

Is short-term health insurance Obamacare?

No. Short-term health insurance is a streamlined insurance plan. While it includes many benefits, it does not cover all 12 of the minimum essential benefits that the Affordable Care Act plans are required to cover. For example, in most cases, short-term health insurance will not include maternity care or mental health services.

In addition, short-term health insurance involves an application. Depending on your health status, your application may be declined or your pre-existing condition may be excluded. Obamacare guarantees that all applicants and their pre-existing conditions will be covered, no matter what your health status.

When can I apply for short-term health insurance?

You can apply at any time. There is no fixed open enrollment period. On wisconsinhealthagents.com, you can submit your application and, if approved, your insurance can be effective within as little as 24 hours.

Can I cancel a short term plan at any time?

Within the first ten days of the effective date of your plan, you can cancel and will receive a full refund. For cancellation beyond the ten days, you simply email or call the insurance company with your reason for cancelling. If you cancel before your policy period is over, in most cases you will be given a prorated refund based on the unused benefit.

What conditions on the application will make me ineligible for a short term plan?

Within the last 5 years if you have been diagnosed, treated, or taken medication for any of the following conditions, term health insurance cannot be issued: Cancer or tumor, stroke, heart disease including heart attack, chest pain or had heart surgery, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or emphysema, Crohn’s disease, liver disorder, degenerative disc disease, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disorder, diabetes, degenerative joint disease of the knee, alcohol abuse or chemical dependency, or any neurological disorder; HIV or AIDS; or if you are now pregnant or in the process of adoption.

If you are looking for insurance to cover your pre-existing conditions, we can refer you to an agent who can help you find a health insurance plan that to cover these conditions:

For ACA/Obamacare Plans: 855-847-7020

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What To Know:

Plans for as little as 30 days, with terms of up to 12 months. Can cancel anytime.
Wisconsin caps total coverage with one insurer at 18 months
Doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions
Additional add-on options for accident protection, prescriptions and more