Summary

Critical illness insurance is beginning to price itself out of the market. But moves are afoot to bring in Menu Pricing. This will enable you to select which illnesses you want to insure against and you simply pay for that level of cover. This article explains.

Critical Illness Insurance.Big changes on the horizon. Page 2

Author: Michael Challiner

To give you a better idea of the sort of illnesses we're talking

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about, here's a typical list:

Alzheimer's Disease

Aorta Graft surgery

Bacterial Meningitis

Blindness

Brain Tumour

Cancer

CJD

Coma

Coronary Artery by-pass surgery

Coronary Artery Angioplasty

Deafness

Heart attack

Heart Valve replacement/repair

HIV/AIDS resulting from blood transfusion

Inability to perform your duties of occupation

Kidney failure

Leukaemia

Loss of limbs

Loss of speech

Major organ transplant

Motor Neuron diseases

Multiple Sclerosis

Occupational HIV/AIDS

Paralysis

Paraplegia

Parkinson's disease

Stroke

Third Degree burns

Any illness that results in Total and Permanent disability

Insurance companies have at last realised that they're not going to get anywhere marketing policies that people can't or won't afford, and where the companies can't afford to lower prices. So it now looks as if insurers such as Scottish Widows are considering a break through - splitting the cover so that the prospective policyholder can specify which illnesses he or she wants to insure against. It's a form a "menu pricing" - cover for each illness would have a price and you simply select which illnesses you want to insure against.

Whether such insurance proves popular will very much depend on the cost. For example, if cancer accounts for around 60% of current claims, you'd expect the premium for covering cancer alone to be about 40% cheaper than a full strength critical illness policy. We'll have to wait and see.

If you're interested to find out how much a standard critical illness policy would cost you, you'll find it cheapest on the Internet. The best sites to look out for are the independent discounting brokers who deal with all the big insurance providers. These brokers can search the whole market for you, come up with the cheapest insurer, and discount their price. Try to use a broker who'll also give you personal advice on the phone as some policies do vary in the scope of their cover.

Did you know?

Secured loans always attract the lowest interest rates. That's because the lender is protecting his risk by taking a legal charge against your property. Then, if there is a default, the lender can call in the loan and, in the final event, sell the property in order to recover the money you owe.

Did you Know?
Under the 1971 Animals Act, dog owners are legally responsible for their animals. So some pet insurance policies also include third party liability insurance for dogs. This means, for example, that if your dog causes a road accident which damages a vehicle, the insurer will pay for the damage.

Today's Tip

If you want cheap motor insurance quotes then ensure you get some quotations from car insurance brokers. The brokers will compare the premiums from the various UK insurance companies and find you the best deals. And as in many things in life, remember that the cheapest is not necessarily the best – always check out the details of the insurance cover – for example, whether legal assistance or windscreen cover is included and whether a courtesy car is provided if your car is being repaired. Also check out the excesses on the policies you are being offered.

Did you know?

There can be a price differences between car insurance quotes by as much as 50%. That means it really pays to shop around. And don't forget, when it comes to renewal time shop around again! Don't automatically accept a renewal notice!