Coverage for Specific Types of Care

Dental and vision plans may help pay for services such as cleanings, fillings, eye exams, glasses, and contacts.

These plans usually have their own networks, benefits, deductibles, waiting periods, annual maximums, or other rules.

Fixed or Cash-Benefit Coverage

Accident, critical illness, cancer, hospital indemnity, and similar policies may pay fixed benefits when a covered event occurs.

Depending on the policy, those benefits may be paid to you and can often be used for medical expenses or everyday costs.

Dental Insurance

Dental insurance may help pay for services such as preventive cleanings, exams, X-rays, fillings, crowns, root canals, and other covered dental care.

Plans may include annual maximums, waiting periods, network rules, and different benefit levels for different services.

Vision Insurance

Vision coverage may help with routine eye exams, prescription glasses, lenses, frames, and contacts, depending on the plan.

Short-Term Disability Insurance

Disability insurance can replace part of your income when a covered illness or injury prevents you from working for a period of time.

This can be especially worth considering for self-employed people who do not have employer-provided paid sick leave or disability benefits.

Critical Illness Insurance

Critical illness coverage may pay a lump-sum or fixed benefit after a covered diagnosis such as certain heart attacks, strokes, or other specified serious illnesses.

Benefits can help with deductibles, household expenses, travel, lost income, or other financial needs.

Cancer Insurance

Cancer-specific policies may provide fixed benefits after a covered cancer diagnosis and, depending on the policy, for certain treatments or services.

These benefits may help with expenses such as deductibles, transportation, household costs, or time away from work.

Accident Insurance

Accident coverage may pay fixed benefits for covered injuries or services such as fractures, burns, emergency treatment, imaging, ambulance services, or hospital care.

It can be especially worth considering for contractors, tradespeople, drivers, and other people with physically demanding jobs.

Hospital Indemnity Insurance

Hospital indemnity policies may pay fixed benefits for covered hospital admissions, stays, or related services.

These benefits can help offset deductibles, coinsurance, or everyday expenses while you're hospitalized.

Telemedicine Benefits

Some insurance plans and benefit programs include access to doctors through phone or video consultations.

Costs, provider availability, covered services, and prescription rules vary by program.

You Have a High Deductible

Fixed-benefit coverage may provide additional funds after certain covered events that can help offset expenses you're responsible for under your main health plan.

You're Self-Employed

If your income depends on your ability to work, disability and other supplemental protection may be worth considering.

You Have a Physical Job

Accident coverage can provide additional financial protection if a covered injury leads to medical expenses or time away from work.

You Want Additional Serious-Illness Protection

Critical illness or cancer coverage may provide an additional financial cushion after certain covered diagnoses.

You Want Dental or Vision Benefits

Many adult medical plans do not automatically include routine dental and vision benefits, so separate coverage may make sense.

You Previously Had Employer Supplemental Benefits

If you had accident, critical illness, disability, or similar benefits through a previous employer, individual options may be worth comparing after leaving that job.