Summary
Premiums for critical illness insurance have risen dramatically in recent years. Now it looks as if the insurers are coming up with ideas to make cover more affordable for the masses.
Big changes on the horizon for Critical Illness Insurance.
Author: Michael Challiner
Sales of critical illness insurance are flagging. Why? Look no
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It's not as if critical illness insurance is a bad idea. After all it pays out a tax-free capital sum if the policyholder is diagnosed with one of the many serious and critical illnesses listed on the policy. ( loans ) The only condition is that the policyholder survives at least 28 days from diagnosis*. (*Note: a few policies have a 14 day survival period.)
Most policies have an extensive list of illnesses that are insured although about 60% of claims are for cancer. This is not surprising as 1 in every 3 people will develop cancer sometime in their life. ( mortgages ) In fact when you look at the concept of Critical illness insurance you can easily make a case for everyone living on earned income to own a policy. It's designed to give you a pot of capital to live on if very serious illness were to prevent you from working normally. Most people would need money under that situation.
The hikes in the premiums are a result of the continual advances in medical science and treatment. These advances have meant that many illnesses that proved fatal in the past are ( cheap mortgages ) becoming quicker to detect and easier to treat. This has resulted in the insurance companies paying out earlier on claims and on illnesses which now are not necessarily debilitating - which was the original purpose of critical illness insurance.
To give you a better idea of the sort of illnesses we're talking about, here's a ( remortgages ) typical list of illnesses covered by critical illness insurance: -
Alzheimer's Disease
Aorta Graft surgery
Bacterial Meningitis
Blindness
Brain Tumour
Cancer
CJD
Coma
Coronary Artery by-pass surgery
Coronary Artery Angioplasty
Deafness
Heart attack
Heart Valve replacement/repair
HIV/AIDS resulting from blood transfusion
Inability to perform your duties of occupation
Kidney failure
Leukaemia
Loss of limbs
Loss of speech
Major organ transplant
Motor Neuron diseases
Multiple Sclerosis
Occupational HIV/AIDS
Paralysis
Paraplegia
Parkinson's disease
Stroke
Third Degree burns
Any illness that results in Total and Permanent disability