Supplemental Benefits for Employer and Affinity Groups
What is supplemental benefits insurance?
Out-of-pocket medical expenses are rising,1 which is a serious concern for employees and consumers in general. Supplemental benefits insurance, which can be offered as an added benefit by employers or affinity groups (associations, financial institutions, membership clubs and other eligible organizations), is an added layer of insurance that can help pay for expenses that standard medical health insurance policies may not cover. Many benefits are paid directly to the insured person who experiences a covered event. The payment can be used as the employee or member chooses, such as for medical co-pays, household bills, extra expenses, or a trip to celebrate a recovery milestone. Supplemental benefits insurance can also include travel protection coverage, helping manage costs associated with unexpected travel disruptions, sickness or injury.
Who needs supplemental benefits insurance?
As co-pays, deductibles, premiums and other medical expenses rise, individuals are seeking avenues to help them manage those costs. Even those with comparatively strong health coverage through their employer may find themselves hit with unexpected and sometimes very expensive costs, such as out-of-network bills for physician services. Through supplemental benefits insurance, employers and affinity groups can help their workers and members meet this challenge.
Why would a business or affinity group offer supplemental benefits insurance?
For employers, offering supplemental benefits insurance plans can be a way to attract and retain talent in an increasingly tight labor market. Workers have been leaving jobs in historic numbers over the last couple of years and dissatisfaction with benefits has been cited as one major reason.2 For affinity groups, offering these kinds of benefits can be a real competitive advantage, showing existing and potential new members that they have their well-being in mind.
What does a supplemental benefits insurance policy cover?
Zurich offers a wide range of supplemental benefits insurance plans that can be customized for your business or affinity group. They include:
Hospital Indemnity Insurance
Provides daily cash payments if a covered member or dependent requires hospital care due to an accident or illness. In addition to hospitalization, other options include daily benefits for additional medical care facilities, surgery, ambulance, ER, urgent care, lab tests, x-rays and more.
Group Personal Accident Insurance
Provides payments for accidents of various levels of severity. May include accident medical expense, accident disability, hospitalization, death or dismemberment, loss of use of a limb, critical burn, coma and more.
Critical Illness Insurance
Provides a lump-sum payment upon diagnosis of a critical illness or impairment. Coverage options include heart and circulatory disease, cancer, paralysis, major organ failure requiring a transplant, loss of use of a limb and more.
Supplemental Gap Medical Insurance
(Only available through Employee Benefit Solutions)
Helps limit exposure to out-of-pocket medical expenses by providing coverage when employees have not met their healthcare deductible. Plans include benefits for inpatient expenses, outpatient expenses, or a combination of both. Plans can also include benefits for doctor office visit co-pays for maximum coverage.
Travel Protection
Coverage for travel while on the clock or off, with options that include benefits for evacuation, emergency medical expenses, accidental death, travel inconveniences like trip cancellation, bag delay, and more. All plans include multi-lingual travel and security assistance provided by Zurich Travel Assist™, available 24/7/365.
Why choose Zurich for supplemental benefits insurance?
Broader coverages
Our offerings go beyond catastrophic AD&D (Accidental Death and Dismemberment). Coverage options span the spectrum, and family coverage is available.
Simplified administration
Organizations can select coverages that their employees or members will value, and Zurich can work within a wide range of benefits administration platforms.
Claims service
Customer care is essential with health-related benefits. Zurich’s Claims service earns industry-leading scores from our customers.3 We are there when it matters most.
Want to learn more?
Connect with our Customer Inquiry Center for more information.
Learn More about our Market Solutions
1. Rosenthal, Meredith B. “The Growing Problem of Out-of-Pocket Costs and Affordability in Employer-Sponsored Insurance.” JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), Vol. 326, No. 4. 27 July 2021.
2. Parker, Kim, and Juliana Menasce Horowitz. “Majority of workers who quit a job in 2021 cite low pay, no opportunities for advancement, feeling disrespected.” Pew Research Center. 9 March 2022.
3. Based on Zurich North America Closed Claims Net Promoter Score of 85 for 2021. Top Quartile TNPS threshold for insurance industry: 57 (2021). Source: Medallia.