Vitality Life Insurance has uncovered that over half (51%) of Critical Illness Cover (CIC) holders are not fully cognizant of the conditions covered under their policy.
This has led Vitality to identify a ‘critical illness gap’ to raise awareness of the issue, which they hope will ultimately help better protect consumers.
The insurer’s research identified Crohn’s disease as a significant condition within this gap. Data indicates that while 16% of CIC policyholders expect coverage for Crohn’s, not all policies include it, and payouts typically require surgical intervention—a criterion only one in five diagnosed individuals meet within five years of diagnosis.
Moreover, policyholders are often mistaken about coverage for other conditions such as unilateral loss of sight, craniotomy for any reason, pulmonary embolism, necrotising fasciitis, and surgical kidney removal. These conditions are not usually covered by traditional critical illness plans but may be included in Vitality’s Serious Illness Cover—a plan that extends to less critical but still impactful illnesses affecting quality of life.
Illnesses like Crohn’s, while not necessarily life-threatening, can significantly alter a person’s lifestyle, influencing work capability and leading to increased household expenses and lifelong prescription costs, especially for those residing in England.
Highlighting the critical illness gap, Justin Taurog, managing director of VitalityLife, emphasized the company’s commitment to meeting consumer needs: “We’ve long understood that our clients want to be covered for a wide range of conditions, and while something might not be life-threatening, it can significantly threaten their way and quality of life.”
Vitality’s Serious Illness Cover is tailored to address a broader spectrum of health issues. Taurog added: “We designed our Serious Illness Cover to provide extensive protection that covers illnesses earlier and pays out for conditions not covered anywhere else. In fact, in 2022 1 in 8 claims paid by Serious Illness Cover weren’t covered by a typical enhanced CIC plan.”
Vitality also offers tools for advisers, such as the SIC vs CIC comparison feature, which simplifies understanding the range of conditions covered by Vitality’s SIC as opposed to typical CIC policies. This tool, complete with videos and interactive content, aims to clarify the differences and extend the protective reach of insurance coverage.
