New accident plan for employers covered by UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare has added a new product — an accident protection plan — to its voluntary benefits product offerings for employers, the insurer said Wednesday.

The accident plan provides a cash benefit for covered events to help limit employees’ out-of-pocket expenses after an accident. It can help pay deductibles, copayments and cover lost income.

Employers that offer their workers UnitedHealthcare medical benefit plans can integrate the plan with other insurance products such as critical illness, dental, vision and disability insurance. Voluntary benefits are also available as standalone products, UnitedHealthcare said.

“A short-term spike in unexpected expenses can be devastating for many people, especially in today’s economy,” said Gary Harger, vice president of voluntary products for UnitedHealthcare, in a statement. “Some people suffer injuries that don’t require a disability leave, but they still incur major expenses and possibly lost income related to their care. Benefit payments from an accident insurance policy allow people to focus on healing instead of their bills.”

UnitedHealthcare has more than 1.6 million Ohio members, according to the company.