When you suffer an accidental injury, supplemental accident insurance pays a lump sum cash benefit that may be used to pay for medical expenses such as emergency care, ambulance transport and tests, as well as living expenses such as transportation, rent or utility bills. The benefits are yours to use where you need them most, so you can focus on healing and returning to daily life.

Health insurance plans rarely cover dental care unless it is medically related, which means routine exams and cleanings, X-rays, fillings, root canals and other dental services must be paid entirely out of pocket. Dental insurance plans for individuals and families often include benefits that cover preventive care at or near 100 percent, without a waiting period. Dental plans also include benefits for diagnostic, basic and major care.

As with dental care, health insurance plans only cover eye care that is considered medically necessary. Vision insurance and vision discount benefits can help reduce the cost of eye exams, lenses and frames. When shopping for supplemental insurance products, maximize your premium dollars by looking for coverage that includes a vision discount program.

Critical illness insurance provides lump-sum cash benefits upon diagnosis of certain critical illnesses, including cancer, heart disease and stroke. These benefits may be used for virtually anything—experimental treatments, your health insurance deductible and/or coinsurance, bills and childcare, to name a few.

If you become temporarily disabled and cannot work, short-term disability insurance pays a percentage of your income for a specified duration. As with other supplemental coverage, these benefits may be used according to your needs.

Prescription drugs can account for a significant portion of healthcare expenses, especially if you routinely take medications for ongoing conditions. A discount drug card can help lower your out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy counter or mail order pharmacy. They may be used to pay for specialty, brand name and generic drugs as specified by the plan details. Discount drug cards may be purchased alone but are often included with other supplemental coverage as an extra benefit, so keep an eye on the details when shopping for supplemental insurance products.