It’s not something that anyone ever likes to think about, but the sad truth is that serious illness can strike at any time. Research now suggests that
- 1 in 2 people in the UK will develop some sort of cancer throughout their lifetime
- Every 7 minutes someone will have a heart attack
- Every 12 minutes someone will have a stroke
Taking out Serious Illness Cover with Vitality helps to protect you financially if you fall ill with one of the 178 conditions they cover; by covering you for nearly four times as many conditions as a typical critical illness policy, Vitality go the extra mile to make sure that you’re protected, should anything ever happen to you.
How does it work?
Serious Illness Cover with Vitality means that you’ll be payed out a lump sum based on the severity of your condition, allowing you to focus your energy on getting better and making a full recovery. Unlike a typical critical illness cover policy, Vitality pays out for the less severe conditions as well as the more critical ones – so if you fall ill and need to make a claim, they’ll give you a percentage of your cover depending on how severe your condition is.
Ultimately this means that if your condition is caught early on, you’ll receive a pay-out to help alleviate the stress – but you’ll also have the rest of your cover in case you ever need to claim again.
How do severity-based payments work?
Vitality pays out on the severity of your illness or disability, which means that you could receive a pay-out at an earlier stage of your illness, even if it’s not life-threatening. With Vitality, there are seven levels of severity to determine how much money gets paid out when you need to make a claim:
| Percentage pay-out | Primary 114 conditions | Comprehensive 175 conditions |
| Severity A – 100% (more severe) |
✔ |
✔ |
| Severity B – 75% |
✔ |
✔ |
| Severity C – 50% |
✔ |
✔ |
| Severity D – 25% |
✔ |
✔ |
| Severity E – 15% |
❌ |
✔ |
| Severity F – 10% |
❌ |
✔ |
| Severity G – 5 % (least severe) |
❌ |
✔ |
How does SIC work?
You have the choice between Comprehensive Serious Illness Cover that covers you for 175 conditions, or Primary Serious Illness Cover which covers you for 114 conditions. In most cases, a typical critical illness policy pays out for the full cover amount, or doesn’t pay out at all – which means you could be lift with nothing to help you cope with an illness that has a continuing impact on your life.
But Serious Illness Cover with Vitality pays a percentage of the cover amount – up to 100% – depending on the severity of your condition. If you were to claim for a condition that pays out part of your cover amount, Vitality keeps covering you for the remaining amount. So, it gets worse or you’re diagnosed with a more severe condition, you can claim again – and you can do this until you’ve used up your whole cover amount. This also means that Vitality can pay out on a wider range of illnesses, not just the debilitating or life-threatening ones covered by a typical critical illness policy.
Will my life cover be affected if I make a serious illness claim?
If you were to make a claim on a typical critical illness policy, most insurers would pay out 100% of the cover amount and then stop your policy. If your policy included life cover, this element could be reduced or stopped altogether. So, if you needed to claim for critical illness again, you might not be covered. And that could make it expensive – or even impossible – for you to buy the same amount of cover again.
A plan with Vitality can protect you even after you make a claim, because they let you claim more than once. They don’t pay out your whole lump sum if you don’t need it – so if you claim for a condition that’s less severe, they pay out part of the cover amount for that condition, leaving you the remainder to keep protecting you in the future.
How many conditions are covered?
With Comprehensive Serious Illness Cover you’re covered for 178 conditions, and with Primary Serious Illness Cover you’re covered for 114 – the typical critical illness policy only covers you for around 48 conditions
What’s the difference between life insurance and serious illness cover?
Life insurance pays a lump sum to your loved ones if you die or are diagnosed with a terminal illness. With serious illness cover, if you’re diagnosed with an illness covered by Vitality, then the payment goes directly to you, to help you through your recovery period.
Am I more likely to get a pay-out with serious illness cover rather than critical illness cover?
Yes – because serious illness cover with Vitality pays out on more conditions than any other insurers. They also cover earlier stages of certain conditions and in some cases, they’ll make partial pay-outs when you’re diagnosed, rather than making you wait until you have surgery or develop permanent symptoms. This means you’re up to two and a half times more likely to get a pay-out from Vitality’s serious illness cover than you are from any other typical critical illness policy.
Can I claim on my serious illness cover more than once?
If you make a successful claim on a typical critical illness policy, most insurers will pay out 100% of the cover amount and then stop your policy. Vitality plans protect you ever after you make a claim, because they let you claim more than once. They don’t pay out the whole lump sum if you don’t need it – so if you claim for a condition that’s less severe, they pay out part of the cover amount and leave you the remainder for the future.
Can I add children to my serious illness cover policy?
You can choose a cover amount between £20,000 and £100,000 for your children. If your child is diagnosed with one of the illnesses covered by Vitality, they’ll give you a cash lump sum. As they pay out on the severity of a condition, if they pay out less than the cover amount and your child’s illness gets worse or they’re diagnosed with another illness, they would still be covered. Vitality cover children from one month old and, if they stay in full-time education, they’ll cover the, until the plan anniversary after their 23rd birthday.
Am I covered for heart attacks or stroke?
Vitality defines medical conditions in the same way as the medical profession – so if your consultant or doctor says that you’ve had a heart attack or stroke, they pay out. The amount paid out depends on the severity of your condition, which means they can cover all types of heart attack and strokes.
