No one likes to think about the possibility of an accident, but the very likelihood is inescapable. Think about it: Have you or anyone in your family ever had an automobile accident? Slip and fall? How about a bicycle or skiing accident? When was the last time you saw the inside of an Emergency Room? If you’re like most Americans, it wasn’t too long ago!
In 2012, about 1 out of every 8 Americans sought medical attention for an injury. The economic impact of these fatal unintentional injuries amounted to about $2,500 per capita, or about $6,600 per household. These are costs that every individual and household pays whether directly out of pocket, through higher prices for goods and services, or through higher taxes. — National Safety Council, 2014
Medical insurance offsets most of the treatment costs for injuries resulting from an accident. But what about the out of pocket costs you don’t consider? There’s time off from work while you or a loved one convalesces, doctor visit and hospital co-pays, medical insurance deductibles, maybe child care expenses — even stocking up on ibuprofen and bandages! It’s inconvenient, expensive, and can make a serious dent in a family’s savings. Accident insurance provides a hedge against this possibility, paying a fixed, lump-sum benefit for injuries resulting from a covered accident — up to and including death if your employer’s plan includes that provision.
These benefits are paid directly to you or your designee, to use however you wish. The benefit schedule specifies payment amounts for events like hospitalizations, Emergency Room treatments, surgery, coma, paralysis, major diagnostic tests, physical therapy, fractures, burns, dislocations, etc.
I already have medical insurance for those things.
Medical insurance is a necessity to cover treatment costs for injuries sustained in an accident. You may have other insurance, like auto or homeowner’s insurance, that may come into play when you or a loved one is involved in an accident. But treatment costs are only one piece of the financial puzzle when someone is injured. Lost wages and increased household expenses, paired with the leftover costs medical insurance doesn’t cover such as co-pays and deductibles, can mean bills piling up just when you’re least able to keep up with them.
I don’t see the value in another insurance policy.
Think about this: You buy life insurance in the event you die. You buy disability insurance in the event you can’t work for a period of time because of an illness. But you buy medical insurance because you’re pretty sure you’re going to need it! Accident insurance is like that: the odds are good you or someone in your family is going to be injured in an accident at some point. And you can purchase coverage for you, you and your spouse, or your entire family. Further, your employer may offer a choice of plans that allow you to select the one that fits your need and budget best.
What if I don’t get approved?
As long as you are an eligible employee enrolling during an approved time period, you cannot be turned down for this group insurance.
See your Human Resources or Benefits representative with questions about your life insurance coverage at work.
