Are there annual or lifetime caps?

Yes — commonly $250,000 to $2 million per policy period. The reasoning, the exceptions, and what to do instead if your situation differs.

The answer

Yes — commonly $250,000 to $2 million per policy period.

ACA plans prohibit caps entirely. For a serious diagnosis, a cap can be reached in a single hospital stay.

Why this trips people up

Short-term plans are sold on premium and bought on hope. The gap between the two is the exclusion list — the part of the contract that decides whether a claim is paid, and the part almost nobody reads before applying.

• Exclusions beat coverage: anything listed as excluded cannot be paid, regardless of how the claim arises.
• Caps are per policy period, so a single hospital stay can exhaust them.
• Networks are narrower than they look on the brochure.

What to do next

If your situation involves an ongoing condition, pregnancy or a planned procedure, price an ACA plan before a short-term policy. If it is a short, clean gap and you can fund the deductible, a short-term contract is a rational bridge.

Read the exclusion list first; the premium is the least important number on the page.