Supplemental health benefits are more important than ever, as more than half of Americans say they could not afford an unexpected hospital bill of $1,000 or more
Lincoln Financial Group announced it is adding Hospital Indemnity insurance to its suite of supplemental health solutions that are available to its Group Benefits customers. Hospital Indemnity coverage provides claimants with a lump-sum payment for hospitalization or other covered events. Together with Accident and Critical Illness insurance, Hospital Indemnity helps covered Americans with expenses that may not be included in their traditional medical insurance.
“Lincoln’s Hospital Indemnity solution, paired with our suite of supplemental health solutions of Accident and Critical Illness, provides employees the coverage they need to plan for a secure financial future.”
There is increasing concern about the impact of healthcare costs on Americans’ financial security, amid the economic uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than half of Americans could not afford an unexpected hospital bill of $1,000 or more, and 40% of people say that in today’s environment they are more concerned about paying for health care expenses overall.1 As a result, more employees are focused on solutions to help cover healthcare expenses, with 23% saying insurance for unexpected medical expenses is a financial strategy for protection, and more than half are interested in learning more about Hospital Indemnity and how it can help them.
“Employees are looking to their employers to offer supplemental health products that can help offset expenses arising from unexpected medical events,” said Ralph Ferraro, senior vice president, head of product, Workplace Solutions, Lincoln Financial Group. “Lincoln’s Hospital Indemnity solution, paired with our suite of supplemental health solutions of Accident and Critical Illness, provides employees the coverage they need to plan for a secure financial future.”
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How Hospital Indemnity Works
Through Lincoln Financial’s Hospital Indemnity plan, employers can offer employees protection against financial hardships due to unexpected hospitalizations. If a covered employee or family member is admitted to the hospital or undergoes outpatient surgery for a covered illness or injury, Lincoln Financial will provide a lump-sum payment. Additional benefits are available through the new Hospital Indemnity solution, some of which include:
- Mental disorder and substance abuse treatment benefits, including screening tests for these conditions.
- Infectious disease-related tests: Almost 50 assessment tests are part of the Health Assessment Benefit (HAB) rider, including vitamin D screening and COVID-19-related tests such as antibody, viral testing and immunizations.
- NICU admission and confinement benefit riders: These family-focused benefits increase the percentage payout if a newborn is admitted and/or confined to an ICU or NICU for care or treatment due to a premature birth or other covered event.
Hospital Indemnity will be available in 26 states starting Jan. 1, 2022. Additional state availability will follow in early 2022.
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