We’ve Got You Covered: Common Questions About Specialty Coverage
bcbsm
| 2 min read
Specialty benefits like hospital recovery, accident and life insurance can provide a variety of options to keep employees feeling secure and happy with the insurance coverage they receive from their company. That’s why it’s so important for businesses to not just offer them, but also to make sure employees understand exactly how these plans work. Whenever new benefits get added to existing packages, there are bound to be questions. So, we’ve put together a list of answers to some of the top questions employees might have: Q: What types of specialty benefits are available? A: Business owners can decide which specialty benefits make sense to add to their offerings. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network offer life, disability, accident, hospital recovery and critical illness insurance. Head here for more details on what the different offerings will do to help build a great benefit portfolio. Q: When can I enroll? A: While the answer to this partly depends on the company’s policy, employees generally can sign up for specialty benefits as soon as the terms of eligibility have been met. In this case, they don’t have to wait for open enrollment. Q: How do I know if I need specialty coverage? A: Some specialty benefits, like life insurance, are a smart idea for most employees. Others depend on where the employee is in his or her life and the level of protection they need. For example, employees in more physically-demanding jobs where injury is possible may benefit from disability and/or accident insurance, while critical illness coverage is a more specific, situational need for less common occurrences, like a cancer diagnosis. However, no one knows when a critical illness will occur or at what age, so being prepared with a critical illness policy is something to consider. Q: Does this coverage only apply to me or to my family as well? A: Depending on the specific plan chosen, many of these coverage options can extend to spouses, domestic partners and dependent children. Q: For life insurance, will my coverage end if I change jobs? A: Depending on which plan is being offered to employees, they might have the option to continue coverage even after they leave the company. When in doubt, remember that no one is doing this alone. Find out more about our specialty insurance offerings or to learn how these benefits fit within a business’ portfolio.
