Compare the top critical illness insurance providers in United States — see cover, features and typical rates side by side.
26 live offers compared from 17 providers, from $0. Updated daily.
$0
Lump-sum benefit for serious illness. Covers 30+ conditions. No network restrictions on use.
$0
Lump-sum coverage for cancer heart attack stroke and more. Flexible coverage amounts.
$0
Group critical illness through employer. Lump-sum cash benefit for covered conditions.
$0
100% online critical illness insurance. Instant quote and coverage. No agent required.
$0
America's #1 supplemental insurer. Lump-sum cash on critical illness diagnosis. Use for any expense.
$6.38 /month
Price on request
Allstate CI — lump sum payment for cancer, heart attack, stroke. Workplace plan.
Price on request
MetLife Group CI — largest group insurer. Offered through employer benefits.
Price on request
Colonial Penn Supplemental CI — guaranteed acceptance for seniors 50–85.
Price on request
Nationwide Critical Illness — return of premium rider if no claim. 19 conditions.
Price on request
Prudential Critical Illness — employer or individual plan. Recurrence benefit.
Price on request
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Critical illness insurance—also called critical illness or supplemental health coverage—pays a lump-sum cash benefit directly to you if you are diagnosed with a covered serious condition such as cancer, heart attack or stroke. In the United States it is a supplemental product that works alongside your regular health insurance, not a replacement for it. The tax-free payout can be spent however you like: medical bills, deductibles, lost income, travel for treatment or everyday living costs while you recover.
Because US health plans carry deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums that can reach thousands of dollars, critical illness policies fill the gap by delivering cash on diagnosis. They are sold both through employers as voluntary workplace benefits and as individual policies. Coverage is defined by the benefit amount you choose and the list of covered conditions. Some policies pay a partial benefit for less severe conditions and offer a second payout for a new, unrelated illness. Pre-existing conditions and waiting periods commonly apply.
Lump-sum cash — Pays a tax-free benefit directly to you on diagnosis, to use however you need.
Covers the gap — Helps pay deductibles, coinsurance and out-of-pocket costs your health plan does not.
Income cushion — Replaces lost earnings during recovery when you cannot work.
Affordable premiums — Supplemental coverage often costs only a few dollars a week.
Pick a benefit amount that would meaningfully cover your health-plan deductible and a few months of expenses. Review the list of covered conditions carefully—policies differ on what counts and how much each condition pays—and check whether it offers recurrence benefits for a second diagnosis. Look at waiting periods, pre-existing-condition limits, and whether the policy is guaranteed renewable. If offered at work, compare the group rate against an individual policy, and consider whether it duplicates coverage you already have.
Aflac is the best-known supplemental insurer in the US, widely offered through workplaces for critical illness, cancer and accident coverage. Mutual of Omaha, Guardian Life and Unum are major writers of both group and individual critical illness policies. MetLife, Nationwide, Allstate and Prudential Financial round out the field, offering critical illness as a voluntary employee benefit and, in some cases, individual coverage with a range of benefit amounts and covered conditions.
Critical illness premiums are modest, often ranging from a few dollars to the low tens of dollars a month, with the exact cost depending on your age, the benefit amount, tobacco use and the conditions covered. Younger, non-smoking applicants pay the least. Higher benefit amounts and added features like recurrence benefits raise the premium. Workplace group rates are typically cheaper than individual policies, and the small cost is why it is popular as a low-priced supplement.
Critical illness insurance is regulated by state insurance departments coordinated through the NAIC, which oversee policy forms, disclosures and insurer solvency; state guaranty associations backstop benefits if an insurer becomes insolvent. Employer-offered voluntary plans may fall under federal ERISA rules. Insurers must clearly disclose covered conditions, exclusions and waiting periods, and consumers can file complaints with their state regulator over disputed claims.
Does it replace health insurance? No—it is a supplement that pays cash on top of your regular health plan. How is the payout used? However you choose, tax-free, from medical bills to rent and groceries. Are pre-existing conditions covered? Usually not, and waiting periods apply, so review the policy's exclusions before buying.
The cheapest Critical Illness Insurance in United States is $0 from ~$28/mo from Guardian Life.
The lowest tracked price on Giraffy is $0 from ~$28/mo across 5 live offers. Compare all plans sorted by price.
Giraffy tracks Guardian Life,Mutual of Omaha,Unum,Breeze,Aflac critical illness insurance companies in United States.
Offer data is refreshed daily from the Giraffy database. Each compare page shows when data was last checked.
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