Aflac Real Cost Calculator ~ Review

**I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Aflac. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

The constant changes in healthcare have left many of us unaware of the true costs of medical emergencies. We assume that our health insurance will cover most of our families medical costs, but major medical does not cover everything. For instance, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services the mean charge for a hospital stay for a heart attack is $65,427! That means if you have a major crisis, the deductibles, co-pays and rehab appointments can add up quickly and catch any family off guard.

Our family has only had a couple of unexpected medical costs, one was a year ago this month. My son Kaden was running around with his sister when he tripped and fell hitting his head on our fireplace. He had to be put out and get 9 stitches for his very deep wound. It was a scary time and I had no idea what to expect when it came to insurance policies or what may be covered. Some of it was covered, but since he had a plastic surgery procedure, the unexpected medical costs were quite shocking.

After that incident, and still paying back the bills that accrued from his surgery, er visit and follow up visits...I have definitely learned it's important to be prepared. Not only have we decided it's important to have a savings set aside just for medical emergencies, but I've also learned that Aflac can help prepare you as well.

For those who are not familiar with Aflac, they can help prepare families for unexpected costs associated with unpredictable illness and injury with their Real Cost Calculator. This calculator is really easy to use and illustrates the comprehensive costs associated with medical conditions, estimating the expenses not covered by major medical insurance.  It then goes on to calculate everyday household costs (childcare, groceres, etc) and explores the out-of-pocket costs during pre- and post-treatment. It shows just how valuable Aflac's supplemental insurance can be and how it can offset these unexpected costs and helps to fill in the gaps of your health care plan. I love that it can help families better prepare themselves financially for unexpected medical emergencies and feel more secure in doing so.

In looking at the calculator and reading more about it, I have found some numbers to be quite surprising. For instance, the average cost to treat a broken leg is more than $10,000! Or, the average annual expense for people diagnosed with diabetes is $11,744.30!! I had gestational diabetes with my third pregnancy and I got a glimpse of all that goes into having this condition - but was still surprised by that cost! WOW!

I am  happy to have been introduced to the Aflac Real Cost Calculator. It has opened my eyes up even more about the real costs associated with medical emergencies and ways to be better prepared for them! You can learn more at Aflac.com.