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    Supplemental Benefits Decision Helper

    Compare premiums and likely payout for accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity coverage.

    5–8 min

    Typical time to complete

    Everyone

    Designed for this audience, usable by anyone

    Educational estimate

    Verify final numbers with official records and plan documents

    Open enrollment

    Supplemental Benefits Decision Helper

    Compare premiums and likely payout for accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity coverage.

    Read: Supplemental Benefits Explained

    Most biweekly workers use 26.

    $

    Per paycheck.

    $

    Per paycheck.

    $

    Per paycheck.

    $

    Cash available for a medical year.

    $

    In-network deductible.

    $

    In-network max, premiums excluded.

    %

    Your rough annual probability estimate.

    $

    Read the policy schedule, not the marketing headline.

    Annual supplemental premiums
    $780
    Expected payout value
    $200
    Likely payout × chance of triggering one covered benefit.
    Expected payout minus premium
    -$580
    Deductible cash gap
    $0
    Bad-year cash gap
    $4,000
    Cash buffer if you skipped coverage
    $780
    One year of premiums redirected to savings.
    What this means

    This may be temporary gap protection if your cash cushion is thin, but building cash is still the cleaner long-term fix.

    Educational only. Not individualized financial, investment, tax, legal, insurance, medical, billing, employment, or benefits advice. Results are not official eligibility, coverage, authorization, tax, billing-liability, or plan determinations.
    What to verify before buying
    • Whether the policy pays cash directly to you or pays providers.
    • Exactly which diagnoses, admissions, injuries, observation stays, or ICU days trigger payment.
    • Waiting periods, exclusions, pre-existing condition rules, and recurrence limits.
    • Whether the same premium would do more good in an HSA, FSA, emergency fund, or debt payoff plan.

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