What Critical Illness Policy Could Mean for Your Financial Future

Critical illness insurance offers financial support after conditions such as cancer, stroke, or heart attack.
What Critical Illness Policy Could Mean for Your Financial Future
Critical illness insurance provides cash benefits for major health conditions. Wanan Wanan/Shutterstock
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If you have a critical illness, you might have to cover out-of-pocket costs. But fortunately, a critical illness insurance policy can help. A critical illness insurance policy is purchased as a supplement to your life insurance.

It’s broader than traditional health insurance and pays out-of-pocket costs that go beyond medical bills. But what exactly is a critical illness policy, how much is it, and how does it work?

Critical Illness Insurance Policies

According to HealthInsurance.org, critical illness insurance is a type of supplemental policy. It pays cash benefits to a policyholder if they’re diagnosed with a covered medical condition. UnitedHealthcare states that some critical illness conditions that policies cover expenses for include:
  • heart attack
  • stroke
  • organ failure/transplant
  • advanced Alzheimer’s disease
  • renal failure
  • internal cancers
  • coma
  • loss of hearing, speech, or vision
Critical illness insurance doesn’t cover things such as self-inflicted injury, drug or alcohol abuse, illegal activities, or acts of war.
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Anne Johnson
Anne Johnson
Author
Anne Johnson was a commercial property and casualty insurance agent for nine years. She was also licensed in health and life insurance. She went on to own an advertising agency, where she worked with businesses. She has been writing about personal finance for 10 years.