t from Democrats, who charge it would "end Medicare as we know it." The Senate rejected it in a vote last week, but also unanimously struck down an alternative plan proposed by President Obama.  Democrats said they wanted to leave it off the table while Vice President Biden leads a bipartisan group of senators to come up with a new budget that would include cuts in spending that would satisfy lawmakers who don't want to increase the nation's borrowing limit without reducing government's size. "The one thing we can't do is nothing," McConnell said. "The president, to his credit, is at the table. ... We're going to negotiate the contours of the plan in these negotiations. I'm personally very comfortable with the way Paul Ryan would structure it in the out years, but we have a Democratic president. We're going to have to negotiate with him on the terms of changing Medicare so we can save Medicare." Appearing on the same program, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on Republicans to abandon the House Medicare plan, noting an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that says it would require seniors to shoulder an increasingly large share of their health care costs. Schumer said there are only three options -- doing nothing, the Ryan plan or a Democratic vision that preserves benefits and changes "delivery systems," but does "not let providers you might want to buy more life insurance later. The option allows you to buy additional insurance at certain intervals, such as every three years, or at certain ages, Fiore says. When the option comes up to buy more coverage, the insurance company considers your age for setting the premium, but not your health. "I've seen people with severe heart conditions or cancer get additional coverage who otherwise would have been declined," Fiore says. In case you want to convert term life to permanent insurance 4. Term conversion rider Term life provides coverage for a certain period of time, such as 10, 15, or 20 years. Permanent life insurance, such as whole life or universal life, provides coverage for your entire life, so your beneficiary receives a benefit no matter when you die. This rider lets you convert term life insurance into permanent life insurance without undergoing a medical exam. Fiore says it's especially attractive to young people starting careers and families who need life insurance but don't have enough money yet to secure all the coverage with permanent life insurance, which has higher premiums than term life. There will be a deadline for when you must convert, if you want to change the term policy to permanent life insurance without providing health information. Understand the convertibility features of term life before you buy. In case you become seriously ill 5. Accelerated death benefit rider This has become standard in the insurance industry, Lurty says, and is usually included automatically for free or offered at nominal cost. The rider lets you collect a portion of the policy's death benefit if you become terminally ill with a short life expectancy, such as one year. The policy spells out how much of the death benefit is available before death. Usually it's capped at $250,000 to $500,000, Lurty says. You can use the proceeds for anything, such as paying medical bills or living expenses. Even though the insurer offers the rider free, the company may charge a fee if it is exercised. 6. Critical illness rider The insurer pays a lump sum if you're diagnosed with one of the critical illnesses specified in the insurance policy, such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and others. Instead of reimbursing you for medical expenses, the way health insurance does, the rider provides money to use for any purpose during the course of treatment. In case the unthinkable happens 7. Child protection rider No one wants to consider the possibility of losing a child, so all emotion must be set aside when considering a child protection rider. Although the death of a child typically would not result in income loss, as would the death of a spouse, the tragedy still would have some financial consequences, which could be an additional hardship for a bereaved family. This term life insurance rider provides coverage for final expenses in case the unthinkable happens. The coverage generally can be purchased in units - for example, $1,000 -- Lurty says, at a nominal price. Basic information about the child's health is required for underwriting. In case you die from an accident 8. Accidental death benefit rider If you die from an accident, this rider provides an additional benefit on top of the policy's regular death benefit. The option is often referred to as double indemnity when the additional payout equals the original death benefit. Sometimes the rider also includes additional payment for dismemberment. You would collect money if you lost a limb or your sight. Life insurers will consider your occupation and hobbies when determining premiums, Lurty says. High-risk activities, like race-car driving, would boost the rates. In case you outlive your term life policy 9. Return of premium rider "If you live to the end of the term, in exchange for paying the premium, in most circumstances you get all your money back," Lurty says. He notes that some companies use a separate rider where others, like ING, write the return of premium benefit into a base policy. You pay a higher premium for the opportunity to get your money back. The big question to consider: How does paying the extra cost for the return of premiu