Three Supplemental Health Plans—Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity—Unraveled
Who needs them and what do they cover?
Supplemental health insurance can help with expenses not covered by major medical insurance. While not a replacement for health insurance, these plans pick up where your primary coverage leaves off.
Supplemental Health Insurance to Help Bridge Coverage Gaps
Explore Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity plans.
Several plans are available, and they may be purchased individually or in combination. Learn more about how the plans work, and when to consider each, as your activity level, stage of life, family health history, and emergency savings can all impact what plans are appropriate for you.
1. Accident Insurance: Cash for Covered Accidents
- Who needs it? Are you and your family members frequent travelers, athletes, or weekend warriors? Do you work around your house or yard? Accident insurance can be especially helpful for families with small children and those who play sports. A sunny day at the playground, the ball field, or even your own backyard could turn financially catastrophic without sufficient coverage.
- What does it cover? Accident insurance helps protect against unexpected financial consequences of a covered accident that requires medical treatment. It includes benefits for specified injuries like fractures and lacerations, and also for treatment—from ambulance service and ER care to diagnostic tests and surgeries. Learn more about how accident insurance can help.
2. Critical Illness Insurance: Cash for Covered Illnesses
- Who needs it? More than 90% of new cancer diagnoses occur in people over age 45.3 Consider supplementing your primary health insurance as you age, especially if your family has a history of a critical illness like cancer, heart disease, or Alzheimer’s.
- What does it cover? Critical Illness insurance can help cover both medical and non-medical expenses that go beyond what traditional healthcare provides, including experimental treatments and the ability to seek a second opinion. A lump sum benefit is paid to you upon diagnosis, which can be extremely valuable if your income is interrupted because you’re unable to work at the same time as you’re faced with mounting bills. Learn how Critical illness insurance can help.
3. Hospital Indemnity Insurance: Cash for Covered Hospitalizations
- Who needs it? Hospitalizations are expensive, especially for those with high-deductible health plans. These plans can leave patients responsible for up to $7,000 before plans start covering costs.4 Compare that to more than half of working adults who say they have under $2,500 saved for emergencies.5 Coverage can help bridge this gap. Plus, if you expect to be hospitalized for childbirth, purchasing a policy well in advance can pay off when the time comes.6
- What does it cover? Hospital indemnity insurance can help you pay your deductibles, co-pays, and other expenses for each day you’re hospitalized for a covered reason. It can help with costs for childcare when you’re in the hospital and recovering at home, transportation costs if you can’t drive, additional healthcare needs like physical rehabilitation, and more. Learn more about how Hospital Indemnity insurance can help.
All of these plans offer financial security—alone and in combination—whether you have a high-deductible health plan, a family history of severe disease, or limited savings.
Click here to learn how Supplemental Health plans can help.
Group Insurance coverage is issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, a Prudential Financial company, Newark, NJ
1074934-00002-00
1 Aborode AT, Oginni O, Abacheng M, et al. Healthcare debts in the United States: a silent fight. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2025;87(2):663-672. Published 2025 Jan 21.
2 August, John. Healthcare Insights: How Medical Debt Is Crushing 100 Million Americans. Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution, ILR School, Cornell University. www.ilr.cornell.edu/scheinman-institute/blog/john-august-healthcare/healthcare-insights-how-medical-debt-crushing-100-million-americans. October 21, 2024.
3 3 Cancer Stat Facts: Cancer of Any Site. The National Cancer Institute. seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/all.html, 2025.
4 4 Average Cost of Hospital Stays in the U.S. 2025. NCHstats. nchstats.com/average-cost-of-hospital-stays-in-us. Last updated July 2, 2025.
5 Bankrate’s 2025 Annual Emergency Savings Report. Bankrate. www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/emergency-savings-report/
6 Hospital indemnity plan benefits for routine pregnancy, childbirth, or complications of pregnancy become available beginning 10 months after your coverage effective date.
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