6 reasons why singles need supplemental health insurance
Many people assume that supplemental health insurance is for only for married couples, but that’s far from the truth.
Supplemental health insurance helps cover the unexpected costs of critical illness, cancer, stroke, an accident, or hospital stays. It can help provide peace of mind, financial protection and physical wellness for anyone—no matter their relationship status!
If you’re single and wondering if supplemental health insurance is right for you, check out these six reasons why you should make yourself a priority and consider supplemental health insurance.
1. Sometimes life has other plans.
Single, married, divorced, widowed, dating, engaged or “it’s complicated”—illness and injury don’t discriminate against anyone’s relationship status. Consider these facts about your risk for critical illness:
- More than 16.9 million Americans alive today have a history of cancer. More than 1.8 million people will be diagnosed this year alone.1
- Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. suffers a heart attack.2
- An estimated 7 million stroke victims are alive today.3
2. A health crisis is an expensive event.
If you ever find yourself facing critical illness or injury, you may have to deal with steep medical bills, on top of trying to recover. The average hospital stay costs over $10,700.4 At the same time, 61% of Americans wouldn’t be able to cover an unexpected $1,000 bill from their savings.5 Medical bills are the number one cause of bankruptcy, and 137 million Americans are struggling with medical debt.6
3. Your primary insurance may leave you exposed.
Even if you have major medical insurance through your employer or through the marketplace, you will still likely have to pay a portion of your medical bills out of pocket. Some common out-of-pocket medical costs include your deductible, co-pays and surprise billing. Meanwhile, while you’re dealing with medical bills, life goes on and your everyday bills and expenses will still be due.
4. There’s no one to fall back on if you can’t pay the bills.
Financially, there are advantages to being single. You have 100% control of how your money is saved and spent, and you have no responsibility for anyone else’s debt. You have more freedom, you can take more risk, and there are less mouths to feed.
However, one financial disadvantage to being single is that when a financial crisis comes up, it’s up to you to solve it on your own. That’s why supplemental health insurance is so great. Supplemental health insurance benefits are paid in cash directly to you, not doctors or hospitals. That means you can use the money for ANY PURPOSE, whether it’s out-of-pocket medical costs, household bills, or to replace income if you’re unable to work.
5. You may need to hire in-home care or help.
Married people usually have a built-in caregiver when they’re recovering from illness or injury. Besides taking care of health care needs, a partner can help keep up with cooking, household chores and more.
If you’re single and don’t have anyone to depend on for these needs, you may need to hire help if you’re ever on the mend from a critical illness or injury. As previously mentioned, supplemental health insurance benefits can be used for any purpose, including in-home health care, housekeeping, yard work, meal delivery, pet care and more.
6. Benefits can help you prioritize your health.
It isn’t uncommon for people to put off their health care needs because they don’t want to face the costs. But prevention is key to staying healthy, and can help you save money in the long run!
That’s why many supplemental health insurance plans offer wellness benefits, which can help you make your health a priority. Wellness benefits often help cover yearly wellness visits and routine screenings. Some plans may even provide perks such as membership to a health advocacy group, or access to telemedicine. Be sure to shop around for a supplemental insurance carrier and plan that meet YOUR needs and wants.
Discover how Washington National can work for you!
Are you ready to learn more about how supplemental health insurance can benefit you? One of our agents is happy to help! Contact us here to get paired with a local Washington National agent.
LIMITED-BENEFIT POLICIES. These policies have limitations and exclusions. For costs and complete details of coverage, contact your agent.
1American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures 2020, 2020, p. 1.
2American Heart Association, Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics–2020 Update A report From the American Heart Association, 2020, p. e486.
3Ibid., p. e355.
4Business Insider, The 35 most expensive reasons you might have to visit a hospital in the US—and how much it costs if you do, http://www.businessinsider.com/most-expensive-health-conditions-hospital-costs-2018-2, March 1, 2018.
5Bankrate, Most Americans don’t have enough savings to cover a $1k emergency, https:// www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/financial-security-0118/, January 18, 2018.
6CNBC, 137 million Americans are struggling with medical debt. Here’s what to know if you need some relief, https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/10/americans-are-drowning-in-medical-debt-what-to-know-if-you-need-help.html, November 10, 2019.