ICU stands for Intensive Care Unit while others call CCU Critical Care Unit or Coronary Care Unit, but whatever definition of the acronym a hospital decides on, the condition is quite serious. If there is one thing we can count on is the layman’s terms we still use to this day in when it comes to medical.

Have you ever thought to yourself instead of just using the term waiting room for example? There is no hiding it you are going to a room to to do just that. When it is so ingrained from usage we hardly hear the meaning anymore. As a society we become desensitized until the time we begin to reflect.

Having the same with ICU, we do immediately associate it with an emergency and so do the hospital bills. Simply having relief that you have a major medical health insurance policy in place isn’t enough these days. In fact, it never has been enough and we only fail to realize just how much till it is too late.

Have you ever known anyone having had a heart attack or stroke, perhaps cancer or a major organ transplant? Well it may be too late to get a look at that health insurance policy. You also may need to be aware that most of the bills from people covered with policies that get diagnosed with a life threatening cancer, are in fact, non-medical related bills. Be fair warned and ask anyone that has been in a critical situation what their bills were like and especially if they were the bread winners and have loss of income. If you think being out of work or employment is bad, try adding on expenses you didn’t already have. Most will not survive this financial devastation and wind up in bankruptcy. Again, not worrying about it til they cross that bridge down the road, just like when they would not get a supplemental health insurance policy in the first place, will eventually catch up.

Effects of waiting till its too late

You can never imagine how bad it is till it happens and the ones to always realize taking advantage of something is typically when your in the business. A dentist knows the importance for example about brushing and damage it can do when we do not, or procrastinate. But did you know that you can get heart disease and other organ damage by not taking care of your teeth and gums? As a society we generally wait…until. Stop waiting and take it from this author who has experienced first hand the affects of what a critical illness can do without having a supplement. You can say goodbye to your house, your retirement savings, or worse yet, the kind of treatment you could have gotten but couldnt. Dont forget the financial burden of dependency of others and financial responsibility that you have if you have a family.

Critical illness doesn’t only affect you

Illnesses go right to the ones who love you. Critical illnesses like heart disease and cancer are more treatable than ever. It is a stat that is growing with technology, but it can cost outside of your health insurance. In addition, there are expenses you didn’t have before such as transportation, home health care or some family member will have to stay home and take care of you. Only they cant afford to do so literally since they need income now that all the bills are coming and you cant work while your recuperating.

Do not fail to plan

You know the old saying if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Another cliche is an ounce of prevention. Majority fall into this category and spells disaster, so why do we all wait? Truth is it is human nature to delay, wait, put off as much as possible and then hope for the best. Thinking a health policy alone is enough is wrong since most devastation stems from the non medical as addressed earlier. Make certain that you invest in your future by protecting the unforeseen today. Getting a supplemental critical care policy known as critical illness insurance will protect you in the event of covered illness. The underwriting is a lot more lenient that a disability policy and place money in your hands upon diagnosis which is when you need it most. A lump sum benefit is always better than that get well card. The approximate average cost of a coverage for a 40 year old male non smoker is around $30-40 and can get about $40,000. Now that’s value. In fact, people that are unemployed can afford this coverage if the concerns are more of the ‘extreme’, yet couldn’t afford a few hundred dollar premium for major medical.

Remember, critical illness insurance benefits, but it is not a replacement of health insurance. It will help the worry about raising your deductible if you have to raise it due to affordability you can get CII for about the same amount as with a low deductible but get more coverage. Simply make certain it is a policy outside of your health policy not a rider.