How Supplemental Benefits Put Life Back into Household Budgets
Apr 22, 2026
How Supplemental Benefits Put Life Back into Household Budgets
Apr 22, 2026
Out-of-pocket costs and medical debt are a huge financial concern for families. Americans owe over $220 billion in medical debt and borrowed over $74 billion to cover their medical bills last year.
Supplemental and voluntary benefits are there to help fill that gap, funding expenses that are not covered by major medical insurance — such as deductible and copays, travel to receive necessary treatment, childcare during appointments and hospital stays, and other expenses.
ACLI recently hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill to lead discussion about how supplemental benefits protect Americans from financial hardship and medical debt. ACLI was joined by Tom Quackenbush, President of Teamsters local 249 (New York) and Amy Friedrich, President of Benefits and Protection at Principal Financial Group, along with Renner Hall, a veteran and supplemental benefits recipient to discuss the importance of the benefits for both employers and their employees.
Panelists highlighted how supplemental benefits stabilize families, help protect savings, and support preventative care that often lessens the load on public programs down the road. Supplemental benefits are quickly growing in popularity with nearly 109 million policies or certificates currently active. Claim payments to Americans reached over $6.6 billion in 2023.
Both employers and employees see the value in financial security and are driving this growth. While 92% of employers believe it is their responsibility to assure their employees are financially secure, 93% of employees see a growing need for supplemental benefits and 92% of those enrolled believe the benefits help protect their financial security.
As policymakers think about financial security and affordability, supplemental benefits offer an important financial safety net that puts money in families’ pockets when they need it most.
Cindy Goff
Cindy Goff is Vice President, Supplemental Benefits and Group Insurance at the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), where she develops and implements state and federal public policy positions and strategies to ensure access to innovative financial protection products. She has also served as Director of Health Policy for Aflac and VP of Product Policy at America’s Health Insurance Plans.
