When shopping around for general health insurance, you’ve probably come across the term supplemental health insurance. Most will go with the overall health coverage and be done with the search, but what if something happens that isn’t covered by your overall care? That’s why supplemental health care options are created and offered – to cover any holes left by a health insurance plan. Below, we’ve compiled a list of some different types of supplemental health insurance coverage and how they can help protect you.

Dental Insurance 

Many people wish to prevent lasting damage to their teeth and gums that are essential to your long-term health. Some general health insurance plans will include dental coverage, but because dental insurance is not one of the required benefits of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the majority of plans will not include dental. When it comes to children, dental coverage is considered a required benefit and comes standard with all ACA-approved plans. Dental insurance works the same as health insurance with monthly premiums, copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles.

Vision Insurance 

Under the normal health insurance terms, preventive care for your eyes, and prescription eyewear are not covered. Benefits like these, even laser eye surgery, can be acquired through vision insurance. Most vision insurance plans provide services at discounted rates in exchange for a monthly premium. 

Hospital Insurance 

This kind of insurance is also known as a “Hospital Indemnity Plan” and it provides coverage for hospital stays. The national average for an inpatient, single day hospital stay is more than $2,000, so hospital insurance can prove to be a worthy investment.

Accident Insurance 

Accident insurance is enacted to pay lump-sum cash benefits if you are injured in an accident. This supplemental insurance type can help to pay medical costs and living expenses while you are healing. The types of expenses that are covered often will include surgery, emergency treatments, hospital confinement, and physical therapy.

Critical Insurance 

Also known as “Critical Care Insurance,” this type of insurance provides coverage for illnesses like cancer, major organ transplants, stroke, heart attacks, kidney failure, and more. A few types of critical illness insurance plans are very specific to one particular type of illness or disease. If one is diagnosed, they may receive cash benefits paid per procedure or per round of treatment done. Typically, there will be a minimum daily benefit and a policy maximum.

Disability Insurance 

When you are sick or injured, health insurance will help out to cover the current medical bills coming your way. Disability insurance will help to retain some of your income if you become too sick or injured to continue working. Depending on the disability plan, some may pay out benefits only for an illness, while others pay for illness and injuries.