Today due to increasing costs, many employers who provide group health insurance have been forced to rethink their company provided health insurance benefits. In order to keep affordable medical insurance benefits of some kind for their employees, companies have gone to different types of health plans, such as High Deductible Consumer Driven health plans. They may have eliminated certain health benefit packages that were formerly available such as dental insurance or vision coverage.

These types of changes have left many consumers with gaps in their health insurance coverage, and have created a market for supplemental health insurance. Supplemental health insurance may be available through your company’s benefits office. Healthcare insurance companies often will allow employees to enroll in these supplemental health insurance plans and have the premiums deducted from their payroll. Or you may need to shop for affordable supplemental health insurance products on your own. Either way supplemental health insurance products can be:

• Private Disability Insurance – Disability income replacement will help pay your expenses if you are sick or injured and cannot work. Disability health insurance polices can be long term or short term.
• Life Insurance – Most companies provide only a limited life insurance benefit. It is recommended that if you have dependant family members you carry at least 5 times your annual salary in Life Insurance.
• Dental Insurance – Covers Dental and Oral Care. It is a very popular supplemental health insurance because fewer and fewer companies are offering dental plans.
• Specific Disease Insurance - Such as Cancer Insurance
• Accident Insurance – Similar to disability insurance but this is coverage specifically for injuries received due to and accident.
• Hospitalization Insurance – A supplemental health insurance policy that will pay you income of a set dollar amount per each day spent in the hospital.

Check with your benefits advisor at work or your insurance broker to find affordable supplemental health insurance products that fit your individual needs.