I’ve heard stories from parents whose children were always getting hurt and landing in the emergency room. I thought I was lucky because my very cautious son had suffered only minor scrapes and bruises over the years and we were able to avoid some of the more common injuries. Our luck ran out when he was eight years old.
Injury #1 – Broken Hand
In August 2015, while playing tag with friends at camp, my son tripped and fell, fracturing his hand. My son was whisked away on an ambulance to the closest emergency room where I met him. His many treatments included x-rays, the ambulance ride, the radiologist charge, a cast, and some very expensive children’s pain reliever. Between having to meet my deductible, paying all of the co-pays and then having to go for follow-up visits and physical therapy twice a week for 5 weeks, my total out of pocket was close to $2,000.
Injury #2 – Smashed Nose
A few months later, he was playing with another child when they collided, smashing faces. With a bloody nose, I ran him to the emergency room and an x-ray revealed his nose was, thankfully, not broken, however, he did have a gash on the bridge of it that required super glue and steri-strips. Between the visit to the ER, a prescription for expensive children’s pain reliever and a follow up visit, this injury cost us another $1,000.
AFLAC COMES TO TOWN!!
In 2017, New Agency Partners invited Aflac to present their suite of products. As one could imagine, I was intrigued by the Accident Insurance plan once I learned that, unlike health insurance which pays hospital and doctors, Aflac would pay cash to me if anyone in my family had an accident and needed to seek medical treatment. I was also told that the claims process was very easy and I could get paid by direct deposit within just a few days. The premium was modest and bought peace of mind so I decided to give it a shot and I enrolled in the plan. This, it turns out, was a very wise choice.
The Payoff – Injury #3 – Fractured Thumb
By November, we put this policy to the test. This time my son was at the dojo training for his junior black belt. During a sparring match, he blocked a kick and injured his thumb. We headed over to urgent care, and an x-ray revealed a buckle fracture. I did as instructed by my Aflac representative and asked for an itemized bill from the urgent care and from the doctor who did his follow up visits a few days later. I submitted a claim through Aflac’s easy SMART CLAIM. In just two days from submitting, I received the direct deposit from Aflac in my checking account. Aflac paid me an initial lump sum simply because I took him to urgent care for the injury. I was paid an additional amount for his required x-ray, both follow-up visits to the orthopedist, plus an added amount because his injury resulted in a broken bone. I even received an additional 25% because he was injured during an organized sport. I loved that Aflac didn’t coordinate with my health insurance; it just paid me directly.
Payoff #2 – Injury #4 – Broken Finger
This past April, just four weeks before his junior black belt test, my son broke his finger catching a ball in gym class. It was becoming routine now – urgent care, x-ray, splint, copay. I filed another claim with Aflac and again had no out of pocket expenses. My son got a whole new set of benefits for this new injury and once again I was paid within two days. The process was simple, fast, and hassle-free!
All’s well that ends well and the fracture healed just in time for my son, now 11, to earn his junior black belt. I think many of us get wrapped up in thinking that insurance isn’t necessary because we think the worst can’t happen to us. My son’s injuries were minor, but as a parent, I want to make sure I can get him the care he needs when he’s hurt without worrying about what it will cost. I hope my son is done breaking bones, but it’s good to know I’m covered if he’s not