Critical Illness
Dr Marius Bernard said.."Medical science can save lives, but it can’t salvage lost bank balances. In other words, we will keep you alive, but we won’t provide the money to support you." When you are critically ill or disabled, would you prefer cash or sympathy? An year of illness can wipe away savings of 10 years.
Critical illness covered are
1. Aorta graft surgery – for disease and trauma
2. Aplastic anaemia – resulting in permanent symptoms
3. Bacterial meningitis – resulting in permanent symptoms
4. Benign brain tumour – resulting in permanent symptoms
5. Blindness – permanent and irreversible
6. Cancer – excluding less advanced cases
7. Cardiomyopathy
8. Coma – with permanent symptoms
9. Coronary artery bypass grafts – with surgery to divide the breastbone
10. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease – requiring continuous assistance
11. Deafness – permanent and irreversible
12. Dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease) before age 65 – resulting in permanent symptoms
13. Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast – with specific treatment (partial payment)
14. Encephalitis
15. Liver failure – end stage
16. Lung disease – end stage/respiratory failure – of specified severity
17. Heart attack – of specified severity
18. Heart failure
19. Heart valve replacement or repair – with surgery to divide the breastbone
20. HIV infection – caught in a specified country from a blood transfusion, a physical assault or work in an eligible occupation
21. Kidney failure – requiring dialysis
22. Loss of independent existence – resulting in permanent symptoms
23. Loss of hands or feet – permanent physical severance
24. Loss of speech – total, permanent and irreversible
25. Major organ transplant
26. Motor neurone disease
27. Multiple sclerosis – with persisting symptoms
28. Open heart surgery – with surgery to divide the breastbone
29. Paralysis of limbs – total, permanent and irreversible
30. Parkinson’s disease before age 65 – resulting in permanent symptoms
31. Primary pulmonary arterial hypertension – resulting in permanent symptoms
32. Stroke – with permanent symptoms
33. Systemic lupus erythematosus – of specified severity
34. Third-degree burns – covering 20% of the body’s surface area or 50% of the face’s surface area
35. Traumatic head injury – with permanent symptoms
36. Children’s critical illness
The Facts
• Each year nearly 20 million people survive heart attacks and strokes; many require continuing, and costly, medical care.
Source: World Health Organisation – www.who.int, March 2010.
• 10 million people survive strokes each year. Of these stroke victims 40% experience moderate to severe impairments requiring special care.
Source: WHO, www.who.int and The University Hospital – www.universityhospital.com, March 2010.
• Every year more than 12 million people are diagnosed with cancer, that’s about 33,000 each day.
Source: American Cancer Society – www.cancer.org, March 2010.