Extension Of Benefits

What Does Extension Of Benefits Mean?

An extension of benefits refers to a situation where a policyholder can continue receiving benefits from their healthcare policy after it expires if they are hospitalized or sick and temporarily unable to work. Typically, this extension ends once the insured recovers and returns to work. Because an extension of benefits only covers you while you recover from a single illness or injury, people who want longer-term income protection if they cannot work usually buy disability insurance on top of their health plan.

Insuranceopedia Explains Extension Of Benefits

Whether a policyholder can receive an extension of benefits depends on the specifics of their health insurance policy. Employers often provide policies that include an extension of benefits to ensure that employees do not face gaps in coverage if they are injured or fall ill at an inopportune time. If the illness or injury happened on the job, the worker may also have a claim through workers compensation, which pays medical bills and a portion of lost wages separately from the health policy.