What Illinois Residents Choose Instead
Most people who looked at short-term plans wanted the same things: quick coverage, a simple application and protection while they sort out something longer term. Indemnity plans are the closest match, and they have become a popular choice across Illinois. Two options we offer are Allstate Health Access and Pivot Health FlexProtect.
Allstate Health Access (fixed indemnity)
An indemnity plan pays you set cash amounts when you use covered services such as doctor visits, hospital stays and surgery, no matter what the provider bills.
- First-dollar benefits: no deductible and no copays before it pays
- Apply any time; coverage can start as early as the next day
- First Health PPO network discounts, with no penalty for going out of network
- No end date: plans auto-renew, with rates guaranteed for three years
- Pays even when you also have other insurance
Pivot Health FlexProtect (cash benefits)
FlexProtect plans from Pivot Health pay you cash for accident medical expenses, lost income and, on the upper plans, a critical illness diagnosis, to help cover what your health plan leaves behind.
- Cash benefits from the first dollar, paid to you
- Three plan levels from $34.82 a month (sample quote, age 46, Chicago, Oct 2026)
- Accident cash from $2,500 to $10,000 a year, plus $500 a week of disability income
- Critical illness lump sum of $5,000 or $10,000 on the Pro and Freestyle plans
- Works alongside an ACA plan or employer coverage
Fast to start
Apply any time of year and start as soon as the next day.
Cash from day one
Benefits are paid to you from the first dollar, so a deductible is not in the way.
PPO network
Health Access includes First Health PPO network discounts, with no penalty for going out of network.
Who These Plans Fit
These are the same situations that sent people to short-term plans in the past:
- Recent college graduates
- Between jobs or laid off
- Waiting for employer coverage to start
- Losing dependent status
- Looking for a lower-cost alternative to COBRA
- Recently retired and not yet on Medicare
Good to Know
Indemnity is not major medical
It pays fixed amounts, not your actual bill, and it is not ACA coverage. Health Access does not cover pre-existing conditions for the first 12 months, and FlexProtect has its own exclusions. Each requires an association membership (included in the quoted FlexProtect price). Many people pair these plans with an ACA plan.
You may also qualify for an ACA plan
Losing job-based or dependent coverage usually opens a 60-day special enrollment period for an ACA plan, which covers pre-existing conditions. We can compare both side by side.
Not Sure Which Option Fits?
A licensed Illinois agent will compare indemnity and ACA options with you at no cost.
Allstate Health Access and Pivot Health FlexProtect are fixed-benefit policies, not health insurance, and are not substitutes for major medical coverage. FlexProtect is underwritten by Companion Life Insurance Company. Benefits are fixed amounts and are not based on your actual bill. Benefits, availability and prices vary by age, gender and ZIP code. See the plan brochure for limitations and exclusions.