Healthcare and health insurance are controversial topics that are always open for debate.

There are some who believe it is the sole responsibility of an individual to make sure they are covered, while some think it is a fundamental human right and the government should make sure there is universal healthcare.

The reality is health insurance is a necessity whether the government, your employer or you as an individual pay the premium costs yourself or not. Also, many people may not be aware of this, but statistics show that on average women will pay more for health insurance than their male counterparts, anywhere from 14% to upwards of 53% more.

Women pay more in insurance premiums based on the assumption that women go to the doctors more than men.

More and more, rising premium costs are affecting women who are the majority of the time already underpaid. On top of women paying more for their health insurance, they are offering women less coverage leading them with no other option but to look into supplemental health insurance. An additional health insurance plan is a health care plan that covers anything above and beyond minimum essential medical coverage.

The main questions with supplemental health insurance(s) are, what are the various types of coverage, what does the supplemental insurance do and how much can the supplemental insurance cost you?

The Basics of a Supplemental Health Insurance Plan gives you a few examples of plan types that include critical illness insurance, travel insurance, and short-term health insurance coverage. Researching even further, companies like Aflac offer other premium supplements such as cancer and hospital insurance.

Supplemental health insurance is needed for out-of-pocket medical expenses such as deductibles while others may provide you with a cash benefit paid out over a period of time or in one lump sum. The cash benefits are to assist you with covering your living expenses while you are missing work, for example in the case of a woman being out of work due to her treatment of breast cancer or a woman that is out on maternity leave.

Supplemental health insurance has several variables that are used to factor in the cost of the insurance which is not limited to and include your age and family size. Depending on the insurance that you purchase, for an individual, your monthly premium can range from as low as $5 to over $80 a month. Again, these rates are not including the cost of your essential medical coverage and for some this may not be a realistic option which can leave you with an even bigger problem if an unexpected medical emergency arises.

No matter your opinion on the issue of who should be paying for health insurance, the bottom line is that everyone does need some level of insurance. Before you take on the costs of supplemental health insurance, make sure you understand your current coverage plan including what it does and does not cover. The best picks for women are based on your lifestyle. You have to weigh the pros and the cons of supplemental life insurance and decide if this route is worth the investment for you.