What does Critical Illness Insurance Cover?

Most Critical illness insurance covers you for over 30 serious ailments. The list of covered illnesses can vary between policies depending on the particular insurer and also level of cover purchased. However, all policies will cover the following 7 core critical illnesses: cancer, coronary by-pass, heart attack, kidney failure, major organ transplant, multiple sclerosis and stroke.

Did you know?

1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men suffer from a critical illness before reaching retirement age.
According to the BBC, 1 out of 3 people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their life.

Below is a comprehensive list of critical illness that you can buy critical illness insurance against:

COMMON ILLNESSES

Heart Attack – of specific severity
Cancer – excludes less advanced cases
Stroke – causing permanent symptoms
Multiple Sclerosis – with re-occurring symptoms

INJURY OR DISABILITY

Coma – causing permanent symptoms
Third Degree Burns - covering 20% of the surface area of the body or 20% to 50% of the face or head
Loss of Hands or Feet – permanent physical severance of one hand or foot required for some
Paralysis of a Limb – total & irreversible

HEART CONDITIONS

Aorta Graft Surgery – for disease or traumatic injury
Coronary Artery By-Pass Implants – some with and some without need for surgery to divide the breastbone
Open Heart Surgery – some with and some without the need for median sternotomy
Primary Pulmonary Hypertension - of specified severity
Heart Valve Replacement or Repair - some with and some without need for surgery to divide the breastbone
Cardiomyopathy - of specified severity

BODY PART FAILURE

Kidney Failure – in need of dialysis
Liver Failure - of advanced stage
Major Organ Transplant

NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

Non-Malignant Brain Tumour – Permanent Neurological Deficit requirement removed if surgery is performed to remove tumour
Alzheimer's Disease - resulting in permanent symptoms
Parkinson’s Disease – causing permanent symptoms
Dementia - resulting in permanent symptoms (defined as Pre-senile)
Motor Neurone Disease - resulting in permanent symptoms
Encephalitis - resulting in permanent symptoms
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) - resulting in permanent symptoms
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - resulting in permanent symptoms
Multiple System Atrophy - resulting in permanent symptoms

OTHER

Total and Permanent Disability
Terminal Illness – permanent & irreversible
Removal of an eyeball – due to injury or disease

IMMUNE SYSTEM

Aplastic Anaemia – of specified severity
Rheumatoid Arthritis – resulting in permanent symptoms
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus – some require severe complications and some do not

VIRUS & DISEASES

Bacterial Meningitis - resulting in permanent symptoms
HIV Infection – caught from a blood transfusion, physical assault or work accident
Severe Lung Disease – Some cover Emphysema and Respiratory Failure