How we help with Serious Illness Cover

Serious Illness Cover is a unique type of protection insurance which our advisors can assist you with.

As you can imagine there are multiple types of serious illness policies and some may offer more cover than others.

That is why it is always advisable to speak with specialists in advance of finalising any cover so that you get the most suitable policy for your needs.

As part of our service, we connect consumers with qualified advisors who provide a free no-obligation review so that they can fully understand your situation and requirements.

Once these are confirmed they will look to provide a comprehensive review of the market to obtain the most suitable cover and at the most competitive rates available.

What Does it Cover?

With critical illness cover, it’s important to remember that this type of insurance is only designed to pay out a lump sum payment in the event that a policyholder is diagnosed with a specific critical illness that is noted on the policy.

Illness Protection is not an insurance policy that will replace your salary like an Income Protection Insurance policy.

The definitions of these policies can vary from one insurance company to another but they typically cover some types of cancer, strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure, blindness, brain tumours and major organ transplants.

Serious illness protection will only pay out if the condition is specifically noted on your policy and that is why it is vital that you fully understand the terms, conditions and exclusions of any critical illness policy you are looking to take out.

Not all serious illness policies will provide the same level of cover and certain conditions which may prevent you from working might not be covered by the policy.

Definitions used within the small print of the terms and conditions must also be taken into consideration.

This is so you fully understand the cover you are getting and what stage of a diagnosis the policy would be paid out. Some critical illness policies will only pay out if your condition is considered extremely serious whilst others might provide cover at any stage of a major diagnosis which they cover.

Serious Illness Protection can be a complex insurance policy for anybody that does not have considerable expertise in this field.

We therefore always recommend that you speak to specialist advisors that have the knowledge and ability to assist you in securing the most suitable serious illness cover.

How will I benefit? 

Serious Illness policies provide a wide variety of protection which varies from one insurance company to another but most will typically include:

• Serious illnesses noted on the policy which can include permanent total disablement
• Minimal serious illness cover for your children (if applicable)
• Waiting list benefits

As the cover can change between the various providers it is always advisable to shop around to secure the most suitable policy to match your specific needs.

Requirements for Permanent Total Disablement (PTD) will also need to be considered as this can be included within policies but the type of cover required will need to be specified. There are two types of permanent total disablement cover:

Any Occupation PTD – This means that you will only be able to claim if you are unable to work at any job. This would mean that you are permanently unable to carry out routine daily activities such as walking, lifting, writing or speaking.

The probability of this happening is quite low so this type of cover is often included in the standard illness list.

Own Occupation PTD –  This covers you in the event you are permanently unable to do your current job. This type of cover is usually an added extra and you may not be able to secure it if your job carries a higher risk of disability.

Each person may have specific requirements for their Serious Illness Cover so it’s always advisable to discuss these with a fully qualified advisor.

These protection policies are incredibly beneficial when you need them most and will often include cover for the following:

Children’s Serious Illness Cover – Children may be covered for most of the serious illnesses noted on your policy and for child related sicknesses such as meningitis.

The amount you can claim for will typically depend on the serious illness cover policy but it is usually capped at 50% of your cover with a maximum benefit amount up to €15,000.

Waiting List Benefits

If you are put on waiting list for specific types of surgery the serious illness policy will pay out part of the benefit. The amount that will be paid out will depend on the insurer and the policy conditions.

If you are interested in learning more about serious illness cover please complete our quick online application for a free no obligation quotation.