Key Findings/Points. (1) While short-term limited duration (STLD) insurance policies, which provide temporary insurance to those with coverage gaps, have long been available, the Trump Administration is seeking to promote their use and expand their availability. (2) STLDs are exempt from ACA requirements prohibiting medical underwriting, pre-existing condition exclusions, and other protections. While not expected to cover someone with HIV, we tested this hypothesis by applying for coverage in 38 STLD plans as someone with HIV. Coverage was denied in all 38 cases. (3) We also found that STLD insurance would generally not meet the needs of someone was diagnosed with HIV while enrolled, due to benefit limitations, particularly for prescription drugs, and high out-of-pocket costs. Further, coverage would not be renewed after the term ended. (4) To the extent that ACA non-compliant policies, such as STLD plans, are expanded, they could affect the ACA-compliant insurance market, driving up costs for those who rely on them, including people with HIV. Moreover, with pending litigation in Texas now supported by the Trump Justice Department that would eliminate the ACA's pre-existing condition protections, our finding that HIV remains an uninsurable condition without such protections, underscores the implications of such a change.
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