Protection for the Unexpected: New Infectious Disease Rider Benefit on Critical Illness Insurance

American Fidelity has implemented a new rider to offer additional protection against infectious diseases like the coronavirus, whooping cough, HIV, and more.

What is a rider?

In short, riders amend a policy or certificate. They allow the insured to customize an existing policy to address specific needs, and often require additional premium. You can add the infectious disease rider during enrollment to your critical illness policy for financial protection in the event you’re diagnosed with Hepatitis B or C, MRSA, COVID-19 or any of the other covered diseases as long as you also meet the requirements specified in the rider.

How does it work?

If you’re diagnosed with a covered infectious disease and are hospitalized for seven consecutive days, benefit payments are made directly to you to use as you see fit. The money can cover whatever expenses you need it to: hospital bills, groceries, rent/mortgage, etc.

Benefits are payable up to 50% of your critical illness benefit amount based on an approved diagnosis. Eligible children will be covered at 25% of the insured’s infectious disease benefit amount.

Your covered spouse’s benefit, if elected, will be 50% of their critical illness benefit amount.

What’s Covered

The following diseases are covered within the rider:

Anthrax	Cholera	Encephalitis	Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)	Poliomyelitis	Sepsis	Tularemia
Bacterial Cerebrospinal Meningitis	COVID-19	Hansen’s Disease	Legionnaire’s Disease
Osteomyelitis	Dengue Fever	Hepatitis B or C	Typhoid Fever
Botulism	Rabies	Trichinosis	Malaria
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)	Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever	Histoplasmosis	Tuberculosis
Q Fever	Diphtheria	Tetanus

Being diagnosed with an infectious disease may be unsettling, but you might rest a little easier knowing you have coverage in place with American Fidelity’s Infectious Disease Benefit Rider.

Not every state is currently eligible, and some eligible states may have restrictions. Contact your American Fidelity account representative to discuss your eligibility. Limitations, exclusions and waiting periods apply.

Available States as of May 7, 2021

This blog is up to date as of April 2021 and has not been updated for changes in the law, administration or current events.