Sewanee Benefits

Supplemental Protection

Supplemental Protection includes optional plans that can provide extra cash support when life takes an expensive turn. These plans are separate from your medical plan and are meant to help with costs that can follow an accident, a serious diagnosis, or a hospital stay.

Plan types

Accident
Helps with out-of-pocket costs that may follow a covered accident, such as deductibles, copays, travel, child care, or time away from work.
Critical Illness
Helps with the financial strain that may follow a covered serious illness. The cash can be used in whatever way is most helpful to you.
Hospital Indemnity
Helps with extra costs that may follow a covered hospital stay, including things like deductibles, copays, child care, or lost income.
Good reminder
These plans pay cash benefits. They do not replace your medical plan. They are meant to sit beside your medical coverage, not instead of it.

Which one fits me?

These examples are meant to help you think through common situations. They are not telling you what to buy. They are here to help you buy thoughtfully.

I worry about a broken bone, ER visit, or accident with kids
You are mainly worried about the disruption and extra costs that can follow an accident.
Best place to start: Accident coverage
I worry about a major diagnosis changing our finances
You are more concerned about a serious illness and the strain it could put on your household budget.
Best place to start: Critical Illness coverage
I worry about what happens if someone is admitted to the hospital
You are mostly focused on the practical costs that can stack up during a hospital stay.
Best place to start: Hospital Indemnity coverage
I already feel stretched and do not want to over-insure
You want to protect yourself without buying too many overlapping plans.
Best place to start: Pick the one risk that worries you most and compare it to your current emergency savings, deductible exposure, and monthly budget before electing anything else.

How to decide in 3 minutes

You do not need to buy every optional plan. Start with these questions and answer them honestly.

1. What would hurt us most financially?
Pick the one that feels most true:
A sudden accident and the bills that follow
A major diagnosis that changes our budget
A hospital stay and everything that comes with it
2. What could we reasonably handle without extra insurance?
Think about your emergency savings, your deductible, and your month-to-month budget. If you could manage one type of event without much strain, you may not need extra coverage for that specific risk.
3. Am I buying this because it fits my situation, or because I feel anxious?
That is an important difference. These plans can be useful, but buying from fear alone can leave you paying for coverage you do not truly need.
4. If I choose only one, which one would I choose first?
That answer usually tells you where to start. You do not need to buy everything at once to make a thoughtful choice.

Common questions

Click a section below to view common questions and answers.

Choosing thoughtfully
Do I need all three plans?
Not necessarily. These are optional plans. The best approach is to think about which financial risk worries you most and whether that risk is already partly covered by savings, your medical plan, or another protection you already have.
How do I avoid becoming “insurance poor”?
Start with your budget. Then think about the one or two financial shocks that would hurt you most. Buy for that problem first, instead of electing everything just because it sounds protective.
What is the best first question to ask myself?
Ask: “If something bad happened, what cost would be hardest for us to absorb?” That answer usually points you in the right direction.
Accident coverage
What does accident coverage do?
Accident coverage provides a cash payment directly to you if you or a covered family member has a covered accident. It is meant to help with the costs that can come with an accident, such as deductibles, copays, travel, child care, or time away from work.
Who tends to find accident coverage most useful?
People who worry about off-the-job accidents, active families, or unexpected urgent care and emergency costs often look here first.
Is accident coverage the same as medical insurance?
No. It is a cash benefit that sits beside your medical plan. Your medical plan still handles covered medical care.
Critical Illness coverage
What does critical illness coverage do?
Critical illness coverage provides a cash payment directly to you if you or a covered family member is diagnosed with a covered serious illness, such as cancer, a heart attack, or a stroke.
How can that money be used?
The cash can be used in whatever way is most helpful to you, whether that is medical bills or everyday household expenses.
Does this only help with hospital bills?
No. This plan is aimed more at the broader financial impact of a serious diagnosis, not just one type of bill.
Hospital Indemnity coverage
What does hospital indemnity coverage do?
Hospital indemnity coverage provides a cash payment directly to you if you or a covered family member has a covered hospital stay.
What kind of costs is it meant to help with?
It is meant to help with the extra costs that can follow a hospital visit, including deductibles, copays, child care, or lost income.
How is this different from accident coverage?
Accident coverage starts with a covered accident. Hospital indemnity starts with a covered hospital stay. They may overlap in some situations, but they are built around different triggers.
Family coverage and everyday use
Can these plans cover family members too?
Yes. If you elect coverage for yourself and your eligible family members.
Do these plans include anything beyond the main benefit?
Critical illness and hospital indemnity each include a wellness benefit for certain preventive screenings.
Details that matter before you enroll
What should I review before I elect one of these plans?
Review the premium, the covered events, benefit amounts, waiting periods if any, family coverage tiers, exclusions, and how the plan coordinates with the type of risk you are actually trying to protect against.
Where do I make elections?
Elections are made in Employee Navigator during open enrollment.

Need help?

If you want help deciding whether one of these plans fits your situation, reach out before you enroll. It is better to think it through calmly now than regret an election later.