Mutual of Omaha Hospital Indemnity Insurance for Seniors: Benefits, Costs and Riders

Reviewed by Russell Noga, Licensed Medicare Insurance Broker (all 50 states) — Last updated October 24, 2026

Even with Medicare, a hospital stay can leave you with a deductible, daily copays and bills that have nothing to do with medical care. Mutual of Omaha’s hospital indemnity plan is built to fill that gap with cash paid straight to you. Here is how it works, what it costs, which riders make sense and who it fits best.

Mutual of Omaha sells hospital indemnity insurance under the name Hospital Protection. It is underwritten by Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, one of the most recognized names in senior insurance.

The plan pays a set cash amount for each day you are admitted to the hospital. The money goes directly to you, not the hospital, and you can use it however you want: your Medicare deductible, daily copays, groceries, rent or a ride home.

Covered stays include observation stays, intensive care and inpatient mental health care. A new benefit period starts after you go 60 days in a row without a hospital stay, so your benefits reset.

Mutual of Omaha even pays a small pet boarding benefit while you are in the hospital, a detail many seniors appreciate.

The guaranteed issue window from 64 to 74 lines up with when most people join Medicare, so it is a good time to add hospital coverage without worrying about your health history.

Riders add to your premium and availability varies by state.

Medicare leaves real costs when you go into the hospital, and how big they are depends on your coverage. With Original Medicare alone, you pay the Part A deductible of $1,736 in 2026 every benefit period, and you can have more than one benefit period in a year.

Many Medicare Advantage plans charge a daily copay for the first several days of a hospital stay, often a few hundred dollars a day. High-Deductible Plan G keeps your premium low, but you pay a large yearly deductible before it pays anything. And no matter which plan you have, rent, groceries and other bills keep coming while you recover.

If you already have standard Plan G, your hospital costs are mostly covered, so you may not need much. To see how these plans fit together, read our guide to hospital indemnity insurance for seniors.

Say you have a Medicare Advantage plan with a $350 daily hospital copay for days 1 to 5, and you buy a Mutual of Omaha plan with a $300 daily benefit.

Example only. Copays vary by Medicare Advantage plan, and your premium depends on your age, state, benefit amount and riders.

Mutual of Omaha and Aetna are two of the most popular hospital indemnity companies for seniors. Both pay cash on top of Medicare, but the details differ.

See the full details in our review of Aetna hospital indemnity insurance. The best choice is usually the one with the lower premium for the benefit you need in your state.

Not sure you need it at all? Read our guide to whether hospital indemnity insurance is worth it with your Medicare plan.

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