Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said he is working to create a private exchange that would offer short-term health policies to small employers and residents of Mississippi as a lower-cost alternative to individual plans.
Chaney, a Republican, said the effort follows the failure of HB 605, a bill filed by Rep. Hank Zuber, R., during the 2026 legislative session to create a state health insurance exchange. The bill died in committee, he said.
The office is pursuing a private exchange that would not accept federal subsidies and would offer short-term duration policies, typically for six months or up to one day less than a year, Chaney said. “It’s a loophole, you’re right, but it’s a loophole that benefits the consumer,” he said.
Chaney said the policies could cost significantly less than open-market individual plans. He gave an example of a 50-year-old whose Blue Cross plan would cost about $1,500 a month, and said a comparable short-term policy could run about $600 to $700. He also said up to five companies have expressed interest in offering the products.
Chaney said he expects limited underwriting, yearly out-of-pocket costs possibly around $2,200, the ability to roll policies every six months and that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has approved the option. He said small employers might be able to provide employees money to buy the plans, though that route could involve the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Chaney said he does not plan to establish a state-based exchange without the governor’s approval and expects the short-term option to be available starting in September.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
