Accident insurance
Unexpected accidents happen every day, and people can get hurt. But every person deserves a smoother path back to normal so they can return to living their lives to the fullest. If a covered accident happens to you, this coverage can help protect your finances by paying a lump-sum benefit payment. You can use the benefit payment for anything from out-of-pocket medical expenses, to extra help around the house, transportation, or anything else you need.
For employees
Read on to see how it works or ask your benefits department about accident insurance options at work.
For employers
Offer accident insurance coverage to employees as a way to complement their medical insurance.
Who is accident insurance for?
It’s for people who want help with extra expenses when an accident happens to themselves or a covered family member. The benefits can help you focus on recovering from injury instead of worrying about finances.
What does accident insurance cover?
Accident insurance provides benefits if you suffer a covered accidental injury like a severe burn, broken bone, or have to visit an emergency room. It will also cover the diagnostic testing needed to determine if your bone is broken — like for an x-ray. The lump-sum payment goes directly to you, not the hospital or medical provider.
Why should I consider accident insurance?
It can be a great complement to your medical coverage that helps pay for expenses that can happen with an unexpected accident, including x-rays, ambulance services, and deductibles. You can even use it for non-medical expenses like rent or groceries.
Why choose Guardian accident insurance
Even with major medical coverage, you can be faced with a lot of unexpected costs after an accident. For example, health insurance will pay a hospital bill, but it doesn’t give you extra money to take a car service to work because you can’t drive for a week. Accident insurance can give you a benefit payment to use for that purpose — or anything else. How much? Benefit amounts vary and are based on the type and severity of a person’s injuries.
Guardian accident insurance benefits from work can cover everyone in the family, and you don’t need a medical exam to get coverage. Depending on the plan offered by your employer, you may be able to get extra benefits for covered children injured while playing an organized sport like soccer, baseball, lacrosse, or football.1 There may also be valuable benefits for wellness, travel assistance, and more — all for about the cost of a latte a day.2
Combine with other supplemental insurance for more complete protection
Accident insurance plans can pay benefits for covered injuries and accidents, but other health and medical issues can also impact your finances. That’s why Guardian also offers other types of supplemental health insurance — including hospital indemnity insurance, cancer insurance, and critical illness insurance — to complement your medical insurance coverage.
It’s a type of supplemental health insurance that provides financial protection in the event of an accident. It is designed to help cover unexpected medical expenses and other costs that can come about as a result of the accident, such as out-of-pocket costs, transportation services, and so on. A supplemental accident insurance plan will typically provide coverage for a wide range of accidents, including those that occur on the job, at home, or while participating in sports or other recreational activities (although it's important to note that actual benefits vary by insurance company and specific plan). Benefits are paid directly to the policyholder — not the medical provider — and amounts vary depending on the nature of the accident and the specific terms and conditions of the policy. It's important to note that like other supplemental insurance plans, accident insurance is not a substitute for regular health insurance coverage, nor can it take the place of short-term health insurance while traveling abroad.
Accidents are always possible, especially if you live an active lifestyle — and bills from an accidental injury could add up very quickly. It's extra protection that can possibly prevent the need to dip into emergency savings or go into debt to pay for the things you need to recover. That can help protect your long-term financial well-being. Some accident policies may also cover accidental death to supplement other life insurance benefits, and when offered as a voluntary benefit at work, you’ll also benefit from group rates that help make this coverage even more affordable.
While an accident insurance policy pays benefits in the event of an accident, other types of medical issues are typically not covered. For example, personal accident insurance policies aren't designed to pay benefits for illnesses and chronic medical conditions. However, other types of supplemental health insurance can cover many issues not covered by accident insurance plans. For example, critical illness insurance pays benefits for issues like stroke, heart attack, and many other types of medical conditions, and cancer insurance pays benefits for cancer diagnoses — but it's important to read the terms and conditions of each policy carefully to understand what is and isn't covered.
Need more information?
Resources to help you learn and compare.
Other products you may be interested in
Cancer insurance
Provides a lump-sum payment for cancer diagnosis, screenings, and treatment. Payments are made directly to you and can be used for any purpose.
Hospital indemnity insurance
Helps protect your finances from out-of-pocket expenses and other costs by paying benefits if you are admitted to a hospital or ICU for a covered sickness or injury.
Critical illness insurance
If you experience a serious illness like cancer or a stroke, this provides benefits to help pay medical and other expenses not covered by primary health insurance.
Life insurance
If people depend on your income for support, what will happen to them if something happens to you? Life insurance can be a vital source of financial support.
Disability insurance
If you’re unable to work due to injury or medical condition, where will you get income to live on? Disability insurance can help support your family when it’s needed most.
Vision insurance
As we spend more time in front of screens, vision insurance — and the eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses it helps to cover — becomes increasingly important.
1The child must be insured by the plan on date the accident occurred, and the child must be 18 years of age or younger. This benefit is not available in all states.
2https://www.guardianlife.com/accident-insurance/group
3CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/emergency-department.htm, 2023
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Guardian’s Group Accident Insurance is underwritten and issued by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. Products are not available in all states. Policy limitations and exclusions apply. Optional riders and/or features may incur additional costs. This is a limited plan of supplemental health insurance that provides the specified financial support, as a lump sum or indemnity benefit, for insured injury from a covered accident. This is not minimum essential coverage as defined by federal law. This coverage will not reimburse for hospital or medical expenses. Generic Policy Form # GP-1-ACC-18. The state approved form is the governing document.
This information is not intended for residents of New Mexico.