Availability of short-term health insurance in Georgia

Yes. As of early 2026, at least six insurers were offering short-term health insurance in Georgia.

Because Georgia does not limit short-term plan duration, federal regulations apply in the state. After the federal government announced that it would no longer enforce the four-month duration cap for short-term policies, some insurers in Georgia went back to offering short-term policies with total durations of up to 36 months, including renewals.

Insurers can offer plans with shorter maximum durations, however, and prohibit renewal if they choose to do so. Some of the insurers that offer short-term policies in Georgia limit their total policy durations to six months.

Short-term health insurance in Georgia can be purchased by those who meet the underwriting guidelines the insurer uses, and each insurer sets its own underwriting rules.

In general, people can qualify for short-term health plans if they’re under 65 years old and don’t have any of the medical conditions that will result in a declined application.² But again, the specific requirements vary from one insurance company to another.

Short-term health insurance plans generally exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions, and they often use post-claims underwriting. This means that if a claim is filed, the insurer can go back through the person’s medical records to make sure the claim isn’t related to a pre-existing medical condition.³

Short-term health plans also generally exclude coverage for some of the ACA’s essential health benefits (most commonly, maternity care, prescription drugs, and mental health care).² and impose dollar limits on the coverage they do provide.

So if you’re purchasing a short-term policy, it’s important to read all the plan details and make sure you understand the limitations of the plan.

If you need health insurance coverage in Georgia outside of the annual open enrollment period for ACA-compliant coverage, first determine if you’re eligible for a special enrollment period that would allow you to sign up for an ACA-compliant major medical plan.

Special enrollment periods are generally triggered by a qualifying life event, but American Indians and Alaska Natives can enroll anytime).

If you have a special enrollment period, you can sign up through the health insurance Marketplace in Georgia (Georgia Access). Marketplace plans are purchased on a month-to-month basis, so you can enroll in one – with a premium subsidy if you’re eligible – even if you’re only going to need it for a few months before another policy takes effect.

So if you’ll soon be enrolled in Medicare or you’ve been hired by a business that provides health benefits but they haven’t started yet, you can still use a Marketplace plan to bridge the gap until the new plan starts (assuming you have a special enrollment period or are applying during the annual open enrollment period; this window begins November 1 each year).

There are times in Georgia when a short-term plan might be the only realistic option, such as:

• If you missed open enrollment for ACA-compliant individual market coverage (i.e. Obamacare) or your employer’s healthcare plan, and do not have a qualifying event that would trigger a special enrollment period.
• You’ll soon be enrolled in Medicare or a new employer’s plan and need a temporary policy to cover you until the Medicare or employer-sponsored coverage takes effect.
• Your employer-sponsored coverage is ending mid-month and your replacement plan (from a new employer or the Marketplace) doesn’t start until the first of the following month. Note that COBRA or state continuation might be available as a fallback option instead, depending on the circumstances.
• If you’re not eligible for Medicaid or a premium subsidy in the exchange, the monthly premiums for an ACA-compliant plan might simply be too costly.

People who are ineligible for subsidies include anyone with a household income over 400% of the federal poverty level, as well as people stuck in the coverage gap in Georgia.

The coverage gap stems from Georgia’s refusal to accept federal funding to expand Medicaid under the ACA. Adults with income under the poverty level are ineligible for Medicaid unless they can comply with the state’s work requirement, including work reporting. But they’re also ineligible for premium subsidies in the Marketplace/exchange.

Undocumented immigrants are also ineligible for subsidies, as they cannot use the health insurance Marketplace at all.