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Learn about short-term health insurance in Louisiana.
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Availability of short-term health insurance in Louisiana
Louisiana allows short-term health plans to follow federal duration limits. So some plans have initial terms of up to 364 days and total duration of up to 3 years
Louisiana’s insurance regulations define short-term health insurance as having initial terms of less than 12 months, and refer to short-term plans as defined in 45 CFR § 144.103. That is the set of federal rules that includes the definition of short-term plans that the Trump administration finalized in 2018: The plans can have initial terms of less than 12 months, and total duration, including renewals, of up to three years.
However, federal duration limits will change in 2024 under new Biden administration rules for short-term health plans. Short-term plans issued or sold on or after September 1, 2024 will be limited to total durations of no more than four months, including renewals.
As of 2024, there are at least four insurers selling short-term health insurance plans in Louisiana.
Frequently asked questions about short-term health insurance in Louisiana
Is short-term health insurance available for purchase in Louisiana?
Yes. As of 2024, there were at least four insurers offering short-term health insurance in Louisiana.
Which short-term plan durations are permitted under Louisiana rules?
Louisiana’s regulations (Title 22) allow short-term plans in the state to follow current federal guidelines. The federal regulations that were finalized in 2018 allow short-term plans to have initial terms of up to 364 days, and total duration, including renewals, of 36 months.
However, federal duration limits will change in 2024 under new Biden administration rules for short-term health plans. Short-term plans issued or sold on or after Sept. 1, 2024 will be limited to total durations of no more than four months, including renewals.
Louisiana does not limit or prohibit renewals or subsequent purchases of additional short-term coverage, so people can purchase a new plan when their short-term coverage expires (assuming the existing plan is not eligible for renewal), as long as they can pass the medical underwriting for a new policy.
Insurers that offer short-term health insurance in Louisiana can choose to offer plans with the maximum allowable durations, or to offer plans with shorter terms that may or may not be renewable.
Who can buy short-term health insurance in Louisiana?
Short-term health insurance in Louisiana can be purchased by applicants who can meet the underwriting guidelines the insurers use. In general, this means being under 65 years old (some insurers put the age limit at 64 years) and in fairly good health.
Short-term health plans typically include blanket exclusions for pre-existing conditions. This means they will not be adequate for residents of the Bayou State who need medical care for ongoing health conditions. And because short-term plans do not have to cover essential healthcare benefits, they often have significant limitations and gaps in the coverage, making it important to read the fine print carefully.
If you need health insurance in Louisiana, you’ll first want to determine whether you’re eligible to enroll in an ACA-compliant major medical plan (Obamacare) instead, and whether you’d qualify for a premium subsidy through the Louisiana health insurance exchange (if you’re eligible for a subsidy, the monthly premiums for an ACA-compliant plan may be much less costly than you were expecting, and even more affordable than the premiums for short-term plans; most applicants can enroll in coverage that costs less than $10/month through the exchange).
Open enrollment for these policies runs from November 1 to January 15 each year. Outside that window, you may still be able to enroll if you experience a qualifying life event that triggers a special enrollment period (note that through 2025, there is an ongoing enrollment opportunity if you’re eligible for a premium tax credit and your household income doesn’t exceed 150% of the poverty level). Your medical history will not hinder your eligibility for these plans, but you can only purchase an ACA-compliant plan during open enrollment or a special enrollment period.
ACA-compliant plans are purchased on a month-to-month basis, so you can enroll in one even if you’ll need it for only a few months before another policy takes effect. So for example, if you know that you’ll be enrolled in Medicare or a plan offered by a new employer within a few months, you can still sign up for an ACA-compliant plan (during open enrollment or a special enrollment period) and then cancel it when your new coverage begins.
But if you can’t enroll in an ACA-compliant individual market plan or a plan offered by an employer, a short-term plan is a better option than remaining uninsured.
When should I consider buying short-term health insurance in Louisiana?
Excluding coverage for pre-existing conditions can make short-term policies appear more affordable than ACA-compliant policies. However, that upfront affordability can quickly be wiped out by out-of-pocket expenses (like deductibles and coinsurance) or any costs for a healthcare service for an uncovered condition (which is much more likely to happen with a short-term policy, given their long exclusion lists). That said, there may be situations in which it makes sense to use a short-term plan, such as:
- If you missed open enrollment for ACA-compliant coverage and do not have a qualifying event that would trigger a special enrollment period.
- If you are newly employed and have a waiting period until you can be covered by your new employer’s health insurance plan; short-term insurance may provide a much more affordable (but less comprehensive) stopgap than COBRA or an ACA-compliant plan.
- If you will soon be eligible for Medicare.
- If you’re not eligible for Medicaid or a premium subsidy in the exchange, an ACA-compliant plan might be unaffordable.
Some examples of who are ineligible for premium subsidies:
- Those who earn too much to qualify for subsidies. This used to apply to anyone with a household income of more than 400% of the poverty level, but that cap has been eliminated through 2025.
- People who cannot enroll in a plan through the exchange because they are not legally present in the United States. Lawfully present immigrants can enroll, and can qualify for premium subsidies. But undocumented immigrants cannot enroll in a plan through the exchange at all (they can, however, enroll in ACA-compliant coverage outside the exchange, but there are no subsidies available outside the exchange).
Louise Norris is an individual health insurance broker who has been writing about health insurance and health reform since 2006. She has written dozens of opinions and educational pieces about the Affordable Care Act for healthinsurance.org.