A variety of specialized insurance products are offered
through the individual market and by employers as part of employee benefits
packages. These products are different than major-medical insurance – what
people commonly think of as traditional health insurance. Specialized coverage
helps individuals and their families manage their health care costs, protect
their financial security, and prepare for both expected and unforeseen life
events.
In this section
Latest Documents
This fact sheet
details the demographics of Medigap enrollees highlighting the income range and
likelihood of having one or more chronic conditions of Medigap policyholders
compared to Medicare beneficiaries as a whole.
Infographics
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Strategic Communications
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05/10/2012
This fact sheet
demonstrates the value that Medigap provides to lower income and rural Medicare
beneficiaries, as well as less healthy beneficiaries.
Reports/Fact Sheets/Briefs/Talking Points
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Clinical Affairs
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05/10/2012
Long-term care (LTC) insurance is an important tool for protecting against financial risk should chronic illness or disability leave a person unable to perform activities of daily living. Going beyond medical care and nursing care LTC insurance provides assistance through a variety of services to help meet everyday needs. LTC benefits can be received in a nursing home, assisted-living facility, or in the home. Though older people use the most long-term care services, a young or middle-aged person who has been in an accident or suffered a debilitating illness may also need long-term care.
AHIP Consumer Guides
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04/30/2012
Medicare supplement (Medigap) insurance is a vitally
important product for beneficiaries who choose Medicare’s original
fee-for-service (FFS) program (Parts A and B). The Medicare program does not
have a limit on beneficiaries’ potential out-of-pocket exposure. Working in
tandem with Medicare, it allows seniors and other beneficiaries – many of whom
are on fixed incomes – to budget for medical costs and to avoid the confusion
and inconvenience of handling complex medical bills from providers.
Research
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Clinical Affairs
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04/24/2012
This fact sheet summarizes key findings from the HHS Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) Report on Variation and Trends in Medigap Premiums. Most notably, the report found that overall, Medigap premiums have risen moderately over the past decade, and significantly more slowly than the growth in Medicare spending per beneficiary.
Research
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Clinical Affairs
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01/19/2012
Medigap supplemental coverage has long helped Medicare beneficiaries fill gaps in their benefits. Recently released data from the 2009 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) serve as a reminder of the critical role played by Medigap coverage. The MCBS data show that Medigap is particularly important to low- and moderate-income beneficiaries, especially those living in rural areas.
Research
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Center for Policy and Research
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09/26/2011
An informative report on how private Medicare Supplement (Medigap) insurance works, who purchases it, and what it covers. Describes recent product design changes to conform with the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA).
Research
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Center for Policy and Research
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07/28/2011
America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Board of Directors issued a statement regarding the need for-- and value of-- supplemental insurance coverage.
AHIP Board of Directors Statements
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03/08/2011
America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Board of Directors issued a statement regarding the need for-- and value of-- dental insurance.
AHIP Board of Directors Statements
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06/10/2010
Highlights of disability insurers’ creative programs to help employees and employers overcome multiple challenges and succeed in a difficult economy.
Research
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Center for Policy and Research, Product Policy
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01/04/2010
This guide by America’s Health Insurance Plans includes information about how much income an individual would need if he or she became disabled and were unable to work. The guide also includes a checklist to help compare disability income insurance policies.
Reports/Fact Sheets/Briefs/Talking Points
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Product Policy
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10/09/2009
America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Board of Directors issued a statement regarding the need for – and value of – private disability income insurance.
AHIP Board of Directors Statements
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Product Policy
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06/03/2009
The Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE) and America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) engaged Milliman, Inc. to prepare this report examining the impact of disability on individuals in the United States. Research shows that many Americans underestimate their risk of experiencing a disability and overestimate the resources available to them in such an eventuality. These misconceptions lead to a poor understanding of the full impact a disability can have on an individual’s life.
Research
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Product Policy
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05/15/2009
The AHIP Board of Directors released a statement on the role of long-term care insurance for an aging baby-boom population.
AHIP Board of Directors Statements
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03/09/2009
This paper presents principles as the foundation upon which to build guidelines and policies for dental coverage and makes recommendations to promote transparency and accountability.
White Papers
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01/01/2008
An
Employer’s Guide to Disability Income Insurance helps employers understand the benefits
of offering disability income coverage to their employees, and introduces key
concepts regarding the provisions of group disability insurance policies.
Reports/Fact Sheets/Briefs/Talking Points
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Product Policy
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03/13/2007
Dental insurance provides millions of Americans with coverage for routine preventive and other dental services. Often part of a comprehensive employee benefits package, dental insurance encourages use of preventive dental services that have been proven to prevent unnecessary dental decay and periodontal diseases.
Disability income (DI) insurance helps protect individuals and their families from financial hardship when illness or injury prevents them from earning a living. DI insurance replaces a significant portion of income of disabled workers, allowing them and their families to continue meeting their household expenses and protecting them from taking on additional debt or losing their assets. Employers may offer short-term disability coverage, long-term disability coverage, or integrate both of these as part of a competitive employee benefits package. Workers can also purchase DI coverage individually.
Long-term Care (LTC) insurance provides assistance to individuals who can no longer perform the day-to-day activities normally associated with independent living due to chronic illness, disability, disease or merely as a result of the frailties of aging. This assistance can be provided in the home, community or at an assisted living facility or nursing home. More than nine million Americans have obtained LTC coverage; however, far too many individuals continue to put off planning for LTC until it is actually needed, at which point they face severe constraints to finance their care.
Medicare supplement (Medigap) insurance is private health insurance designed to supplement Medicare. It offers coverage, at varying levels, for the significant out-of-pocket costs that are not covered by Medicare, such as deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. Medigap coverage allows seniors and younger Medicare enrollees with disabilities – many of whom are on fixed incomes – to budget for medical costs and avoid the confusion and inconvenience of handling complex medical bills.
My Life. My family. is a national education campaign by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) to inform consumers about their risks of needing long-term care and the valuable financial protection long-term care insurance provides.
AHIP Web Resources
Supplemental health insurance coverage offers value and security to individuals and families by ensuring they have the extra financial resources they need to address the many unexpected expenses associated with a serious illness or injury. Supplemental insurance includes coverage such as hospital indemnity, specified disease, and critical illness, and benefits generally take the form of direct cash payments to consumers that can be used for any purpose. For example, the benefits can be used to cover the cost of transportation for medical treatment or pay for everyday expenses like groceries, utility bills, or child care.
The Partnership to Protect Medigap is a non-partisan, educational and grassroots initiative of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). The coalition is composed of seniors, their families and health care providers advocating for the preservation of Medicare Supplement insurance options.
AHIP Web Resources
Your Income at Risk is a non-profit, educational and grassroots initiative by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) that is working to help ensure Americans' financial security. The goal of the organization is to raise awareness about disability income insurance, which can help protect individuals and their families from financial hardship when illness or injury strikes.
AHIP Web Resources
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Product Policy