Health insurance is becoming more and more expensive as well as scarce. People are losing their jobs as well as their health insurance and small businesses have been deciding to cut health care coverage totally. But with medical costs rising, health insurance is a necessity. Many people are beginning to look for jobs, are changing jobs, or waiting for their new jobs’ health insurance to check in. The best solution is short term health insurance which is better than no health insurance at all.

Short term health insurance is exactly what it says, short term. Policies can be purchased month to month for periods of 12 to 36 months. Though short term plans aren’t as comprehensive as individual health insurance plans and employer-sponsored health plans, they provide you with preventative measures at a cheap price.

Many short term health insurance plans are less than $100 a month and include coverage for services such as hospitalization, diagnosis, or emergency care. Short term health insurance plans don’t cover preventative care such as annual physicals, doctors’ visits, or prescriptions. Short term plans are used for the meantime while individuals are searching for more permanent plans.

Unfortunately individuals with preexisting conditions cannot get a short term health insurance policy because these policies are underwritten. Short term health insurance plans are generally for healthy individuals.

A press release from Humana out today introduces their new short term health insurance plan. HumanaOne wants to help people who have lost their jobs recently due to the economic downturn get health insurance, even if its temporarily. The Short Term Medical health insurance plan offer affordable, temporary insurance for people in the following situations:

-          Graduating college students

-          People in between jobs

-          Part time, temporary, or seasonal employees who are not offered employer-sponsored health plans

-          Retirees not yet eligible for Medicare

-          Unemployed individuals

-          And new employees waiting for their benefits to begin

HumanaOne’s Short Term Medical health insurance plans are available in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The plan is flexible offering different options depending on the individuals needs. Deductibles range from $500 to $5,000 for individuals and $1,000 to $10,000 for families. The plans have a $2 million maximum benefit and include prescription drug coverage for time periods between 30 days up to 6 months or a year.

Health insurance isn’t something most college students think about because for most, they have been under their parents their whole life. But health insurance companies waste no time kicking you off your parents’ insurance the day you graduate college. Unless you are lucky enough to graduate college and have a job set up with benefits, chances are you will be scrambling around for health insurance.

When you graduate, there are definitely more important things on your mind than health insurance. For example, finding a job and/or finding a house. But have health insurance is vital and can help you in the long run. Of course, health insurance can be expensive and out of reach for many graduates who have a massive amount of student loans.

Here are a few options for coverage.

Short Term Health Insurance. Short term health plans cover you for about 12 months while you are looking for a job with benefits or another health insurance plan. They are available through private health insurance carriers and are designed to be flexible, allowing you to pay month to month and cancel at any time. This type of coverage normally does not cover preexisting conditions and most cannot be renewed.

High Deductible Health Insurance. Though an individual health plan may be out of financial reach for most college graduates, high deductible plans have lower premiums. Though they may not cover preventive services and prescription drugs, but if something were to happen to you it is smarter to have any plan than no health insurance at all. A little secret: the higher the deductible, the lower the premium.

COBRA. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act is a federal law that requires health insurance providers to continue coverage for up to 36 months for those who have been dropped from plans. This doesn’t only include employees, but also includes spouses and adult children. Under COBRA, the health insurance carrier continues to offer the same price that was offered to the employer. However, the employee usually pays for part of the fee. Under COBRA, the employer does not contribute therefore you or your parents have to pay for the full price of the premium.

Some states, though, make it easier for students to obtain health insurance. In New Jersey, insurers are required to allow adult children to stay on their parents’ plans until the age of 30 if they have no dependents and are residents of the state.

No matter what you are forced to do to obtain health insurance, do it. Without student health insurance, you’re going to end up owing a lot more than just student loans.