
Critical illness insurance can provide financial protection for you and your loved ones in the event of a serious medical condition. This type of insurance typically covers conditions such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure, which can have a significant impact on your quality of life and financial stability.
The list of critical illnesses covered by insurance policies can vary depending on the provider and policy. Some policies may also cover less common conditions like Alzheimer's disease, paralysis, and major organ transplants.
It's essential to understand the specific conditions covered by your policy to ensure you're adequately protected. By assessing the risk and making an informed decision, you can choose the right insurance coverage for your needs.
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What is Covered?
Critical illness insurance policies cover a wide range of serious health conditions, including invasive cancer, heart attack, stroke, and advanced Alzheimer's disease. These conditions can have a significant impact on your quality of life and financial stability.
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Some policies, like the one mentioned in Example 2, cover seven core conditions in various percentages depending on the plan design selected. These core conditions include invasive cancer, heart attack, stroke, major organ failure, kidney failure, non-invasive cancer, and coronary artery disease needing surgery or angioplasty.
The schedule of insured illnesses varies between insurance companies, as seen in Example 4. This means that different policies may cover different conditions, but some common ones include heart attack, cancer, stroke, and coronary artery bypass surgery.
In some cases, policies may also cover mental health conditions, such as depression, generalized anxiety, substance abuse disorder, ADHD, PTSD, and autism, as mentioned in Example 1. This can be an important aspect of critical illness insurance, as mental health conditions can have a significant impact on a person's well-being.
Here are some examples of conditions that may be covered under a critical illness insurance policy:
It's essential to review your policy carefully to understand what conditions are covered and what the benefits are. As mentioned in Example 3, it's crucial to ask questions about your coverage, such as what critical illnesses will be covered, how payments will be made, and what percentage of your total benefits will be paid.
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Policy Benefits and Features
Critical illness insurance provides financial protection during difficult times. This type of insurance can help cover expenses that health insurance may not cover.
One of the key benefits of critical illness insurance is that it pays benefits directly to you. This means you can use the money for a variety of expenses, such as cost-of-living expenses during recovery, travel to and from treatment, and in-home care.
You can also use critical illness insurance benefits to cover medical costs not covered by your health insurance plan, deductibles, and copays. Additionally, you can use the benefits for childcare expenses while you recover.
Here are some specific benefits and features of critical illness insurance:
- Diagnosis-based claims payment, which means benefits are paid upon diagnosis, not treatment.
- No health questions during the initial enrollment period, allowing employees to enroll for coverage without providing proof of good health.
- Multiple payout option, which allows for more than one benefit payment after 30 days for separate covered conditions.
- Continuation options, which allow employees to continue coverage upon termination by paying premiums directly to the insurance company.
- Recurrence option, which allows for more than one benefit payment for the same covered condition after 12 months, paying 25 percent of the coverage amount.
Some policies also provide specific benefits for certain conditions, such as 100 percent coverage for heart attack, 25 percent coverage for non-invasive cancer, and 25 percent coverage for coronary artery disease requiring bypass surgery or angioplasty.
Additional Features
Our policy provides some really useful features that can help you make the most of your coverage.
One of the key features is diagnosis-based claims payment, which means that critical illness claims are paid out as soon as a diagnosis is made, rather than waiting for treatment to begin.
If you're enrolling for coverage, you might be happy to know that you can do so without providing proof of good health during the initial enrollment period.
Multiple payout is another option that allows for more than one benefit payment after 30 days if you have a separate covered condition.
Upon termination, you may be eligible to continue coverage by paying premiums directly to Securian, subject to the policy's terms.
Recurrence benefits pay 25 percent of the coverage amount after 12 months for eligible conditions such as full benefit cancer, heart attack, stroke, and major organ failure.
Here are some of the benefits you can expect with our policy:
- Heart attack benefit at 100 percent of your elected coverage amount
- Non-invasive cancer benefit of 25 percent
- Coronary artery disease needing bypass surgery or angioplasty benefit of 25 percent
Benefits
The benefits of our policy are designed to provide you with financial support during tough times. You'll receive a cash benefit directly, equal to the amount of insurance you purchase, which can be used for a wide range of expenses.
These benefits can be used for cost-of-living expenses during recovery, travel to and from treatment, and in-home care. This can be a huge relief, especially if you're unable to work due to your illness.
You can use the benefits to cover medical costs not covered by your health insurance plan, such as deductibles and copays. This can help you avoid financial stress and focus on your recovery.
The benefits can also be used for childcare expenses while you recover. This is especially important if you have young children and need to take time off work to care for them.
Here are some examples of the benefits you can receive:
- Heart attack benefit at 100 percent of your elected coverage amount
- Non-invasive cancer benefit of 25 percent
- Coronary artery disease needing bypass surgery or angioplasty benefit of 25 percent
The amount of the benefit will depend on the specific illness you're diagnosed with, but it's always equal to the amount of insurance you purchase. For example, if you buy a $20,000 policy, you'll get a $20,000 check.
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Understanding and Buying
Critical illness insurance is a type of policy that pays a direct lump-sum benefit to help cover expenses not covered by other insurance. This can bring peace of mind and financial support when it's needed most.
You can purchase critical illness insurance yourself or through your employer, and some policies can be added to your personal life insurance plan. The cost of these policies is generally low, especially when obtained through an employer, with some smaller plans running as little as $25 a month.
The coverage limits and payment structures vary, but the additional protection can help you focus on recovery rather than costs. A 45-year-old female with an individual, cancer-only plan may pay $40 a month for $25,000 of coverage, while expanding the coverage to include coronary illnesses, organ transplants, and certain other conditions may double the premium.
Some key questions to ask about critical illness coverage include:
- What critical illnesses will be covered by the plan?
- Will you receive a lump sum or monthly payments?
- Is there a waiting period before the payment?
- What percentage of your total benefits will be paid?
- Will you have coverage if a critical illness returns after recovery?
Assessing Risk
Assessing risk is a crucial part of the critical illness insurance process.
The underwriting process for critical illness insurance is similar to life insurance underwriting, taking into account factors such as age, gender, smoking status, past medical history, family history, alcohol consumption, and body mass index.
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Family history, in particular, is a significant risk factor for critical illness, as it can demonstrate a marked increase in risk.
Smoking and body mass index are also risk factors that can increase the likelihood of critical illness.
Underwriters use an automated underwriting computer filtering system, but the most detailed and holistic underwriting is still performed by experienced life insurance underwriters.
The underwriter's decision will determine whether to accept the risk at the standard rate, apply an extra charge, or apply exclusions to particular illnesses.
If the underwriter decides to make any amendments to the terms of acceptance, the applicant must agree before the policy can proceed to issue.
In some cases, the underwriter's assessment of risk may result in a higher premium or exclusions, but this is not always the case.
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How to Buy
You can buy critical illness insurance in a few different ways. You can purchase it yourself, through your employer, or add it to your personal life insurance plan.
Critical illness insurance is usually a policy that pays a direct lump-sum benefit that you can spend to pay for expenses not covered by other insurance.
You can choose to buy it directly from an insurance company or through an insurance broker. This can help you compare different policies and find the one that best fits your needs.
The benefit of buying critical illness insurance through your employer is that it can be more cost-effective and convenient.
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Understanding
Critical illness insurance is a type of supplemental insurance that provides financial support during a major medical event. This type of plan supplements existing health insurance coverage with extra funds to meet the added expenses that come with critical illness health emergencies.
You may receive a lump sum or monthly payments depending on the plan, with coverage limits varying. The additional protection helps you focus on recovery rather than costs.
Critical illness insurance covers seven core conditions, including invasive cancer, heart attack, stroke, and major organ failure, in various percentages depending on the plan design. These core conditions can be paired with additional covered conditions to address financial and health risks.
Here are the seven core conditions covered in various percentages:
These conditions can be life-altering, and having financial support can make a big difference in your recovery.
Why Assurity?
Assurity is a top-rated insurance company, offering a wide range of insurance products that can be tailored to meet individual needs.
Their financial strength ratings are a testament to their stability, with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and an A- rating from A.M. Best.
Assurity has a strong focus on customer satisfaction, with a 95% customer retention rate and a 4.5-star rating on Trustpilot.
Their commitment to community involvement is evident in their partnerships with organizations that support education and healthcare initiatives.
Their insurance products are designed to provide peace of mind, with features such as guaranteed issue life insurance and accident insurance that can help protect against unexpected events.
They have a dedicated team of licensed insurance professionals who can provide personalized guidance and support throughout the insurance-buying process.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the big 5 critical illness?
The big 5 critical illnesses are cancer, heart attack, stroke, major organ failure, and multiple sclerosis (MS). These life-altering conditions require immediate medical attention and often have significant long-term consequences.
Sources
- https://www.securian.com/employers/products/group-supplemental-health-insurance/group-critical-illness-insurance.html
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/010416/critical-illness-insurance-who-needs-it.asp
- https://www.anthem.com/individual-and-family/insurance-basics/supplemental-limited-duration-insurance/critical-illness
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_illness_insurance
- https://www.assurity.com/products/critical-illness
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