Aflac or similar...

I do - thank you! I will call them today!

It's interesting.  The company I have now offers Aflac and I sat through a couple presentations.  I'm always 50/50 on getting it though and when the deadline hits, I usually turn them down.

Basically, they have several different packages with different coverages.  Injury, illness, both, etc.

Then it's like a menu.  If you go to the ER?  They cut you a check for a basic amount no matter what insurance you have.  They just give you a check.  Go to the hospital?  They give you a certain amount for each night you stay there.  Check directly to you, no matter what insurance covers.

In a strange way, they basically pay you to get sick/hurt - cash (check) directly to you.  You can do anything with it you want.  Pay bills, go on a vacation, get a new bike.

I offer Aflac to my employees and overall I'd say it's been a good thing.  I subsidize it by $50/mo. so it makes it a little cheaper for everyone.

As was mentioned it's supplemental insurance that pays you a certain dollar amount for various health events.  For example if you have the cancer coverage and are diagnosed with cancer you get a check for $10k.  If you ride in an ambulance and stay the night at a hospital you get a certain dollar amount.

There are also a lot of routine things that you can get money back for.  My wife submits her annual mammograms and I think we get $50 or $100 back for those.

My son just broke his toe and sprained his ankle a couple weeks back and we got a check for $600 (or something like that).  They also paid us for him needing a wheelchair.

I doubt the amounts would be enough to cover an extended absence from work though.  I haven't looked into it, but I bet you can get short term disability insurance cheaper than you could get Aflac.

I talked to Aflac yesterday. I can get the accident one for $50/mo. I'm considering it. Admission to the hospital + the ER visit would pay out for more than a week's pay. The problem would be that the money stops when I get released.

I'll look in to short term disability insurance, too.

Based on my lifestyle and age (knock on wood).  I felt the accident one was worth it and had a hard time turning it down.  Honestly, I wanted it and my wife didn't and I deferred.  The illness one seemed a little remote due to our age (not that it still can't happen, I should know).  I would have gotten the cancer one, but being a survivor of a "simple" version of it, they wouldn't let me get it unless a few more years pass. But again, accidents due to our active life style seemed logical.  I THINK that also covers going into the hospital for illnesses like cold or flu or something.  I think the "illness" coverage is long term stuff.