By licensed health insurance agentsReviewed October 2026

Short-Term Health Insurance in Minnesota (2026)

Need coverage for a few months? Here’s what short-term health insurance looks like in Minnesota right now, and the alternatives that usually work better.

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Short-term coverage in Minnesota

Short-term plans are not effectively available in Minnesota

Minnesota law limits a short-term plan to 185 days, makes it nonrenewable, and caps total short-term coverage at 365 days in any 555-day period across all insurers. Federal regulators said in 2025 they would not enforce the 2024 four-month limit, but Minnesota's own rules still apply. The state Commerce Department reports no insurer has sold short-term plans in Minnesota since August 2023.

Short-term health plans are legal in Minnesota under strict rules: each plan can last no more than 185 days, cannot be renewed, and your total short-term coverage is capped at 365 days in any 555-day stretch. They do not cover pre-existing conditions.

In practice, the state Commerce Department reports that no insurer has offered short-term plans in Minnesota since August 2023. Federal agencies stopped enforcing their own four-month limit in 2025, but that does not override Minnesota's law, so you should be wary of anyone offering you a short-term plan here.

If you need coverage between jobs or until Medicare, look at state continuation of your old job plan, a MNsure plan through a special enrollment period, or MinnesotaCare and Medical Assistance if your income is low. A licensed agent can help you compare these.

What short-term plans are, and aren’t

Short-term plans are not ACA-compliant health insurance. Where they’re sold, insurers can ask about your health, decline to cover pre-existing conditions, and leave out benefits like maternity care, mental health care or prescriptions. They don’t qualify for premium tax credits.

They can make sense for a healthy person filling a short, known gap. For anyone with an ongoing condition, or who might qualify for subsidies, a Marketplace plan is usually the better choice.

Minnesota questions

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Not in practice. State law allows them only with strict limits, and the Commerce Department reports no insurer has sold one in Minnesota since August 2023. Be cautious of anyone offering a short-term plan to a Minnesota resident.

In 2025, federal agencies said they would not enforce the 2024 rule limiting short-term plans to four months, and a new rule has been expected. That does not change Minnesota's own law, which caps each plan at 185 days and total coverage at 365 days in any 555-day period.

Look at Minnesota continuation of your job plan, a MNsure plan through a special enrollment period, or MinnesotaCare and Medical Assistance if your income dropped. These cover pre-existing conditions, which short-term plans do not.

Sources

Reviewed October 2026. Rules and prices change every year; a licensed agent will confirm what applies to you.