Critical Illness Cover
What is Critical Illness Cover?
Critical illness cover is a type of insurance that pays out a tax-free lump sum if you're diagnosed with, or undergo surgery for, a critical illness that meets our policy definition during the policy term and survive at least 10 days. Insurers will only cover the critical illnesses defined in their policy and no others.
It's designed to help support you and your family financially while you deal with your diagnosis so you can focus on your recovery without worrying about how the bills will be paid.
What's the difference between critical illness cover and life insurance?
Critical illness cover helps to support you and your loved ones financially if you've been diagnosed with a specific condition.
You'll receive a lump sum payment to help cover the costs of treatment, or to help pay the bills.
Critical illness insurance usually doesn't pay out if you pass away. This is where life insurance comes in.
Many insurers will offer both types of cover at once, so make sure you understand what each policy offers before you buy.
Bear in mind that life insurance and critical illness cover policies only pay the full cover amount once,on a valid claim, and end after that. They have no cash value at any time, and if your payments stop, so does your cover.
What is a Terminal Illness benefit?
Some insurers will provide what's called a terminal illness benefit as part of their life insurance cover.
This means you can receive your life insurance pay out before you pass away if you're diagnosed with a terminal illness that meets the policy definition, and you're not expected to live longer than 12 months.
Who needs Critical Illness Cover?
As critical illness cover is designed to support extra costs if you fall ill, you might want to consider it if:
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You depend heavily on your salary to support yourself and your family.
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You don't have enough savings to live on if you were to become seriously ill or disabled.
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Your job won't cover you for a long period off work due to sickness (employee benefits package)
How does Critical Illness Cover work?
Your cover will be based on how long you want your policy to last, and how much you want to pay each month.
You'll probably want to make sure that you have cover in place for as long as you still have significant demands on your income, such as an outstanding mortgage or children's education fees.
The next thing to consider is whether you want level cover or decreasing cover.
Level Cover - You choose a lump sum that meets your needs, and how long you want your cover to run for. You'll then pay the same amount each month until your policy ends. You might choose this option if you want to help cover general outgoings, any additional health-related costs, and other financial commitments.
You can choose to make your cover amount increase in line with inflation. This means that your monthly payments may rise, but ensures that the lump sum won't be worth less in the future because of the rise in the cost of living.
Decreasing Cover - The value of your cover goes down each month, but what you pay stays the same for the duration of the policy. This option could suit you if you want to cover any debts or loans that you repay monthly, such as a repayment mortgage.
How much cover do you need?
Again, think about the costs you'd need to cover if you were to fall ill and couldn't work (this might include regular outgoings, such as energy bills and food shopping, mortgage, and any other financial commitments).
If you have children, you'll want to ensure that your family is provided for in case you can't work due to health problems. Level cover can offer financial security for you and your loved ones.
Or you may need a policy to make sure that your mortgage can be paid off.
For extra protection, you can usually get critical illness cover and life insurance at the same time. This way, you'll be protected against different circumstances and be able to choose how much cover you need for each policy.
Which illnesses are covered?
It's important to understand that critical illness policies do not cover all illnesses.
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A range of conditions, including all standard conditions set out by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), including Alzheimer's disease, heart attack, stroke, and some types of cancer.
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Children's cover can provide financial assistance where they have been diagnosed with a critical illness to you at a time when you may need to attend hospital with your child or take time off work to look after them, to give you even more protection.
The Insurance Providers policy summary booklet has a full list of the conditions they cover.
Can you get cover after being diagnosed?
Most insurers will ask you for your medical history when you take out critical illness cover.
If you do have a pre-existing condition, make sure you let your Broker know when you apply for your policy.
It doesn't necessarily mean you won't be able to get cover, but as some conditions can make you more likely to suffer from further illness, your insurer could decide not to accept you for critical illness cover.
