Can Critical Illness Cover Be A Lifeline?
Summarys
It is necessary to clarify the wording of policies, especially those relating to critical illness cover. The innovative introduction of placing illnesses into types, which will offer consumers a much better choice of cover.
Not many of us are covered against severe illnesses even though it may occur at anytime. Standard Life, the income protection provider, has carried out investigations that shows only 4.2% of the country’s work force possess critical illness insurance, even though they will collect a lump sum if they have a heart attack, stroke or suffer from cancer.
16 per cent of the population consider life insurance policies to be too costly, the survey reveals, which give reasons for the low take up.
Potential clients are also perplexed by the wording of policies and the difference between permanent health insurance and critical illness cover.
An operational party put together by the Association of British Insurers, is currently re-examining the wording of policies. The situation may become much more perplexing if the operational party decides to reduce the number of illnesses defined as a critical illness.
Legal and General have introduced a new plan named Elixia 123, which it claims reduces the cost of critical illness cover by about 29 per cent and on occasions by as much as 45 per cent.
This will be achieved by letting clients to select the illnesses for which they want cover. There are 3 groups of risk. Group one. Invasive cancer, strokes and heart attacks. The insurance will only make a settlement if the disease leads to major life style changes or is life threatening.
Group two. Conditions that dramatically affect life style but do not have much impact on life expectancy. Motor neurone disease, Alzheimer’s and blindness are incorporated in this category.
Group 3. Illnesses that are stressful but have slight effect on life expectation. Life style changes may be involved. This group covers strokes and minor heart attacks, open heart surgery and less serious types of cancer.
You can pick a mix of groups and your monthly payment is calculated accordingly. If you are unable to meet the expense of all of the groups you can just choose group 1 to cover you for life threatening events. You could then receive a total pay out if you are diagnosed with a category 1 event and nothing under groups two and three.
Maybe you are more worried about prolonged disability, in which case you might choose a full settlement under category 2 and a lesser percentage for one and three. Clients Consumers who want comprehensive insurance can select the full 100 per cent benefit no matter which group their illness is in.
The cheapest critical illness insurance is not that pricey so it is wise to opt for a comprehensive policy, which will give you security.
Nye Jones, the distribution development manager at PPP, is concerned about how the terms are defined. She emphasises that customers must understand precisely what they are purchasing. Such as, when is an illness defined as major? The first and the third categories need elaboration before purchasing insurance as there is not much to choose between them in her view. Problems can occur later if the customer has not fully appreciated the terms of the policy when they Moria Jennings.












