Voluntary benefits are insurance products that employees may choose to purchase through their companies at rates that are lower than they could get on their own. A few examples of voluntary benefits are dental, vision, life, disability, supplemental health and cancer insurance. Many employers offer voluntary benefits because they allow companies to provide a more robust benefits package at no cost to them.

Voluntary Benefits

Medical Bridge (Gap) Plans

Can you afford the out-of-pocket costs not covered by your health insurance? As major medical plans move toward larger deductibles and higher co-payments, you may be left with more gaps to fill. Hospital Confinement Indemnity (Medical Bridge) insurance plan can help you fill those gaps and help protect against those out-of-pocket expenses that occur when it comes to you or your family members' health care.

Short Term Disability

Disability Income Insurance is an insurance policy that pays a percentage of lost wages when the insured becomes disabled due to illness or injury and can no longer perform the duties of their employment. The amount of benefits is determined before the policy is issued and is based on the vocation and salary of the insured. These plans can be designed to pay for a certain period of years, until age 65 or for the lifetime of the insured.

Long Term Disability

Disability Income Insurance is an insurance policy that pays a percentage of lost wages when the insured becomes disabled due to illness or injury and can no longer perform the duties of their employment. The amount of benefits is determined before the policy is issued and is based on the vocation and salary of the insured. These plans can be designed to pay for a certain period of years, until age 65 or for the lifetime of the insured.

Accident

Accidents happen in places where you and your family spend the most time-at work, in the home or during sports and leisure activities. Most traditional insurance doesn't cover every medical expense, leaving you to pay out-of-pocket expenses such as deductibles, office visit co-payments, and transportation and lodging costs. Can you afford to pay all the costs related to caring for an accidental injury? Accident Insurance is designed to help see you through the different stages of care, this plan provides benefits for initial care and treatment, in addition to the follow-up care you may need.

Cancer

Cancer Insurance is a plan of insurance coverage that covers only care and treatment for cancer. Although limited to cancer treatment, these policies are very helpful to assist with expenses not covered by traditional medical plans such as deductibles and co-payments or travel to and from a cancer treatment facility. Most current plans include transportation benefits as well as housing benefits for the patient and a family member. Some cancer policies pay benefits based on a fee schedule as it is related to the actual cost of services rendered. Other plans pay a lump sum benefit upon the first diagnosis of cancer. This lump sum benefit ranges from $10,000 to $50,000 depending on what the insured chose when the policy was issued.

Critical Illness

The survival rates for many illnesses are increasing, but surviving often means more treatment and higher costs. Treating cancer or other critical illnesses can take months, even years. As you can imagine, the costs can be high. Major medical insurance may not provide enough benefits to pay for expensive treatment approaches and new technologies needed for recovery. Would you be able to meet your financial obligations if a critical illness should strike? Even those of us who plan for the unexpected with life, disability and medical insurance may discover that some expenses can still remain unpaid. The benefits you receive from Critical Illness insurance can help provide financial protection, whatever your situation.

Long Term Care

Long Term Care insurance is designed to help pay for a number of services to help people with chronic conditions compensate for limitations in their ability to function independently. Limitations can range from lack of strength to do heavy housework all the way to prolonged physical illness, disability or a cognitive disorder such as Alzheimer's disease.

Long Term Care differs from traditional medical care because it is designed primarily to assist people in maintaining their level of functioning as opposed to curative efforts.

It is estimated that 43% of people who reach age 65 will require some kind of long term care. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that 8.8 million Americans over age 65 receive long-term care of some type. Of these, 1.3 million are in nursing homes and 7.5 million require some kind of home or community care.

There are long term care insurance plans available to pay the cost of nursing home care, home health care, adult day care, assisted living facilities and care by a family member or friend.

Long Term Care plans are provided through McConnell Insurance with AFL, Continental General Life Insurance Company, CNA, John Hancock and Aegon.

Vision Insurance

Vision insurance provides benefits for eye exams, lenses, frames, and contact lenses on a benefit schedule. The frequency with which a covered person may use their benefits are based on the plan design of the vision program. Co-pays for services, maximum annual benefit amounts for each class of benefit, and provider networks are all important issues to consider when establishing or renewing Vision Insurance.

Dental Insurance

Dental Insurance is a plan of insurance that covers routine check-ups, x-rays, fillings, fluoride treatments, caps, bridges and other dental care as outlined in the policy. Dental plans may include orthodontic care, however, most do not. Dental plans are much the same as major medical in that they have a deductible and co-payment amount. They are different in that they have a maximum annual amount that they will pay in any one calendar year. Most plans also have a waiting period before major benefits can be used.