Different types of critical illness cover

With critical illness cover fast becoming one of the most popular types of financial protection available, in addition to their standard cover, some insurance providers also offer an enhanced version. Depending on the provider, the name for these types of cover may differ but the one thing they all have in common is they cover a broader range of illnesses.

In this blog, we are going to give you a brief overview of the types of cover available from some of the UK’s leading insurers!

Legal and General

Legal and General offer an enhanced version of their critical illness cover for an additional cost. Their critical illness extra covers a further 17 full payment critical illness conditions and is perfect for those who are seeking more comprehensive cover.

Their enhanced critical illness policy also includes benefits that are automatically included in your policy such as children’s critical illness cover, accident hospitalisation benefit, and terminal illness cover - just to name a few!

Royal London

Royal London offers the option to include children's critical illness cover as part of its critical illness cover. There is also an option to enhance this type of cover, both at additional cost.

Covering children from birth to age 22 or 23 if in full time education, the enhanced cover provides cover for 13 child-specific conditions, for example, cystic fibrosis, down’s syndrome and some pregnancy complications.

Aviva

Aviva’s upgraded critical illness insurance policy is available at an additional cost and includes 14 further full payment conditions and 23 further additional critical illness benefits. It also includes a hospital benefit which pays £100 per night you are in the hospital from the 8th night, up to £3,000.

You may also be able to upgrade your cover to include Aviva’s upgraded children’s critical illness, meaning you could receive a payout of up to £25,000.

This advanced critical illness benefit will pay out £25,000 or your full cover amount, whichever is lower.

AIG

Similar to AIG’s core cover, their enhanced critical illness cover is split into two groups. So if you were to become diagnosed with one of their named group one conditions – the full amount you are covered for would be paid out.

Whereas with their group two conditions, you would get what is called an additional payment, which means the money you receive if you claim on these conditions won’t affect what you could be paid on future claims. This payment would be £35,000 or the full amount you’re covered for, whichever is the lowest.

AIG’s enhanced critical illness cover also offers pregnancy cover which provides an additional payout of £5,000 per pregnancy for one of the specified conditions, including foetal death in utero. Additionally, any payments you get from pregnancy cover will not affect a future claim!

Scottish Widows

Scottish Widows don’t specifically have an enhanced critical illness option, however, they do have additional conditions included under their critical illness cover.

The additional conditions are covered alongside the conditions that come as standard within your critical illness policy, however, if you were to be diagnosed with one of these additional conditions then you wouldn’t receive the full payout from your policy. What you would receive instead is either 25% of your sum assured or £30,000, whichever is the lower if you were to be diagnosed with an additional condition.

It is great to see so many providers offering enhanced options to their products. If getting one of these types of policies is within your affordability then it is well worth looking into it!