Short-Term Insurance Cost: Age 55, single, $5,000 deductible

Age 55, single, $5,000 deductible: about $295 a month, a $5,000 deductible, and a worst-case four-month exposure near $9,500. Highest short-term bracket before Medicare.

Cost breakdown

The premium total of $1,180 is the visible cost. The $5,000 deductible is the hidden one: together they define what this bridge really costs before any coinsurance is applied.

How this compares with an ACA plan

An unsubsidized bronze plan for the same profile typically runs two to three times the short-term premium but caps annual out-of-pocket spending and covers pre-existing conditions. If your income qualifies for premium tax credits, the gap often narrows to the point where the ACA plan wins outright.

• Run both quotes with the same deductible before deciding.
• Check subsidy eligibility first — it changes the comparison completely.
• Count prescriptions: short-term drug coverage is a discount card, not insurance.

Budgeting for the gap

Keep the $5,000 deductible in cash before the policy start date. Paying premiums without the deductible funded is the most common way buyers end up worse off than if they had stayed uninsured.

For this profile the bridge costs $1,180 in premiums; fund the $5,000 deductible too, or the protection is theoretical.