Supplemental Health Insurance Coverage

Obtaining supplemental health insurance can help you cover costs that ordinarily would not be covered. Supplemental health insurance plans cover a variety of expenses depending on the individual plan. For example, a hospital indemnity supplemental insurance plan generally pays fixed cash benefits for covered hospital-related services, including hospital stays. Broader supplemental health insurance plans pay fixed benefits for covered preventive care, including physician visits, lab work, and other services. Some supplemental health insurance plans marry the hospital and outpatient service components into one plan paying benefits for both hospital-related and routine health care services. As with standard insurance, generally speaking the broader the coverage terms, and the higher the benefit, the higher will be the premium. For more information on the nitty-gritty of supplemental health insurance plans, visit AARP's Web site.