Critical Illness Insurance for Those Over 50
Critical illness insurance is an effective form of protection for those who are concerned about contracting a serious illness at a crucial time. When you are in your 50s, it becomes all the more important because as we age, we are more susceptible to these diseases. That is not to say, though, that one cannot get critically ill before the age of 50.
Common critical illnesses for people aged 50 and above:
- Cancer. Adults aged 50 – 74 comprise 53% of all cancers diagnosed. Of adults aged 50 and above:
- Prostate cancer strikes 1 in 4 cases diagnosed (28%)
- Breast cancer strikes a third of all cases (34%)
- Other cancers common in this age group include cancer of the lung, bowel, bladder, uterus and ovary
- Heart disease. Incidence of heart disease for those aged 45 and above based on number of discharges is 15,927 per 100,000 population.*
- Cardiovascular disease. Incidence of CVD for those aged 45 and above is at 28,546 for every 100,000 population.*
*Based on UK Office of National Statistics.
When you are in your 50s, we recommend that you seriously consider getting a critical illness insurance policy, while you are still healthy.
When you already have an illness that may be related to the covered critical illnesses, you may find that it will be harder and more expensive to get the critical illness cover that you need. There may also be instances where a critical illness will be excluded from your cover due to the fact that you have a pre-existing condition.
Don't miss:
- Top 5 reasons why a critical illness claim is denied
- Do critical illness insurers really pay out: what the statistics shows
- Top 10 critical illnesses that will pay out
- When are you suspected to get critically ill?
For some, the age of 50 is a comfortable time to beef up their insurance coverage. By this time, one can more easily afford the premiums. The kids are more or less grown up, you may have been promoted several times in your job and most of the big-ticket purchases are already or almost paid for.
Medical Conditions
Please remember that your health condition is an intrinsic part of the company’s underwriting process.
If you have declared that you have a heart problem or a degenerative disease such as diabetes, the insurance company may deny you the coverage. That is why it is best to get the coverage while you are healthy.
Extending or Adding to Your Coverage
It will be better if you already have a critical illness policy. You have the option to extend your coverage or to take additional cover. In fact, if you have taken a policy that offers a renewable option, you can increase your coverage without the need for presenting any medical evidence. This is if the critical illness policy has been issued on a standard basis.
To get additional cover, you need to notify the insurance company about your plan and pay the additional premiums. There will be limits as to how much coverage you can add to the existing policy.
Kind of Coverage
With most critical illness covers set at a maximum age limit of 65 or 70, you can still get a comprehensive cover even if you’re over 50. There are also Over 50 Critical Illness products that you can buy through the Internet with no medical underwriting. These also provide a basic kind of cover and have a limited number of critical illnesses covered.
To protect yourself and your family, save up to 35%, please fill the critical illness cover + life insurance form on the right now.
Recommended useful information to read:
- Dos and Don’ts when making critical illness insurance claims
- What you should know about your critical illness cover: the exclusions to your policy
- Things to consider before getting a critical illness insurance policy
- Are you at risk? Critical illnesses you may be susceptible to
- Save up on premiums: factors that affect your critical illness insurance premiums