Assuming the application and payment process goes smoothly, coverage for many short-term health insurance plans can start as soon as 24 hours after you submit your completed application. However, the only way to ensure fast processing is to make your first premium payment online with a credit card. While credit card billing is optional and you can obtain health insurance without using an online payment method, other forms of payment will take much longer to process. You can select a date up to 30 days in the future for the requested effective date of your health insurance plan.