Features that can be added to critical illness – Everything you need to know
In the simplest of terms a critical illness plan is there to provide money when the client suffers a critical illness! That’s what ‘it says on the tin’, but today’s plans offer clients so much more than that. An array of available features really can make critical illness policies ‘fully comprehensive’. From a simple broken bone to sourcing the best treatment in the world, in this latest ‘Everything you need to know’ we take a look at some of the features that can be added to critical illness plans.
Family Protection – for the whole family
There’s no point talking to clients about the children’s element of any given critical-illness plan until you know whether their children meet the eligibility criteria. Advisers might know their favourite insurers’ plans inside out and wax lyrical about the range of conditions they cover. But if the client’s children are grown up, or the family doesn’t fit the traditional family model – perhaps the client is a legal guardian rather than a parent – a closer look at the finer details might rule out one plan, while another will fit the bill perfectly.
Helping customers with short term income loss
A simple accident, and a broken bone, can easily lead to unforeseen financial stress particularly for those who have physically demanding occupations. Fractures can make it difficult or even impossible for clients to work for weeks or even months whilst they recover. Providers who offer Fracture Cover include it as an added benefit which will not affect the client’s ability to claim on the core cover.
Something more serious – Total permanent disability
Although we have seen some very interesting developments recently, in the main the number of conditions offered by critical illness plans has increased dramatically over the last 30 years. The main reason for this is providers wanting to pay more claims, but there are times where a client is seriously ill yet their condition does not fit into one of the definitions offered by their insurer. Total Permanent Disability (TPD) was originally introduced to Critical Illness policies to offer more overall protection in circumstances when a client suffers a debilitating injury or illness that might not meet the criteria of the definitions covered by a insurer. Again how this works varies across insurers and it’s important to understand the differences
To read more click here
The best treatment – wherever that may be
The NHS is generally seen as one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Whilst the range of treatments available in the UK are vast, how would your clients cope if more effective or even lifesaving treatment was only available elsewhere in the world? A recent report from the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that the average cost of a heart bypass operation was $75,345 in the U.S, $15,742 in the Netherlands and $36,509 in Switzerland. Some insurers offer support to clients or their children to help them obtain the very best medical care in such scenarios.
To read more click here
Continuing valuable cover after a claim
The ability to claim on a protection plan will provide clients with a financial lifeline and the added comfort of not having to worry about their finances. Where a claim is made on a full payment critical illness condition that plan will usually come to an end and for most clients this will mean that it will be extremely difficult if not impossible to obtain more cover. Where the plan is set up on a life and accelerated critical illness basis it will also mean that the client will lose their life cover. To help keep clients insured even after a claim, some insurers offer buyback options enabling a client to reinstate cover after a successful claim without the need for further underwriting.
To read more click here
Watch out for future “Everything you need to know” pieces where each week we will cover a different topic and provide you with the information you need to know to discuss the topics with your clients.
