With this kind of policy you won't be looking to get a payout if you die - this will happen if you become seriously ill. So, if you contract cancer, have a heart attack or a stroke, for example, then your policy will pay up the lump sum you agreed with your insurer when you bought it from them in the first place.
Critical illness life insurance cover is becoming an increasingly common policy to buy for UK consumers. People are starting to realise just how useful it can be if they do fall ill. After all, if you do contract serious illnesses you may find yourself unable to work. Or you may simply prefer not to work for a while if you're undergoing specific treatment and want to concentrate on just getting better. With this kind of policy you'll be given the financial freedom to at least choose what you do. And, it's a solution that cannot be matched by your other standard policies which will, in any case, only pay out if you die.
The majority of critical illness life insurance cover will work in much the same way from policy to policy. The differences that you'll see will come within the policy terms and conditions and are most commonly found in the 'exclusions' section. Insurers won't endorse all kinds of serious illnesses here - so you do need to check out the terms before you buy any policy to make sure that you are getting as comprehensive protection as is possible within the sector.
Another thing you need to look out for is the way that the insurer views any existing medical conditions you may have. As with any kind of assurance policy, critical illness life insurance cover may well be limited if you have had medical problems in the past. So, for example, if you've had a form of cancer already you may not be viewed as insurable for this kind of thing by many insurers.
Again, this is all about reading the terms and conditions and drilling down into the small print to make sure that you know exactly where you stand and what the policy will be able to do for you. As with all insurer products it's vital to be perfectly honest here when you make your application - if you don't tell your insurer everything they need to know then you may well find that you invalidate your policy which won't do you any good at all if you do fall ill.
If you have any doubts or need any advice about buying a critical illness life insurance cover product then talk to us - we have the sector expertise to help you out. But, we're not just here to give out advice. We're here to help consumers, just like you, to find the best combined life insurance policy options for their personal needs - all at the lowest possible cost in the industry.
For example, we can search across the entire critical illness life insurance cover sector to find the best policy that costs the least amount on your behalf. All you need to do is to give us a few details about you and your requirements and we can take it from there. And, as an added bonus, we will also make sure to give you the broker discounts we are given before you start - so your policy will be sure to give you exceptional coverage at exceptionally low costs.