TRAUMA COVER
Nine Suppliers - Multiple Options
Sometimes called Living Assurance, Critical Illness cover or Vital Cover, Trauma cover is a reasonably new benefit that can be added to your personal risk portfolio.
First developed in South Africa in 1960's by Dr Marius Barnard (brother of the heart surgeon, Dr Christiaan Barnard), see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UetZyIFI9tk&playnext=1&list=PLF803AAB249551D85 ; Trauma cover or critical illness insurance, is now being touted as the insurance protection of the future. Now days, the risks people face are not so much early death but being incapacitated, even if only temporarily, by serious illness or disease. Typically the life assured has to suffer one of the conditions under the policy (there are currently up to 45 defined events depending on supplier and benefit type) to the degree as per the policy wordings and survive for 14 days (can be earlier for some specified conditions such as Intensive Care etc).
Advances in medical technology mean the chances of surviving a major illness are increasing - physically, that is. But surviving a major illness financially can be a different story. While an insured's first thought may be to ensure his/her families or business's financial security in the event of death, the financial situation will also be badly affected should he or she survive a major illness or injury.
The purpose of Trauma cover is to alleviate the financial problems caused by serious illness. It can be set up as a stand alone or supplemental benefit to help cover expenses associated with a major illness "regardless of what present insurance might be in place", whether it is life, health or income protection cover. The insured collects the full amount of cover (or lesser amount for lesser events) even if a full recovery is made. There is no need to establish liability or a financial loss, has no requirement to be off work and the payment is distributed as a lump sum at the discretion of the insured with no stand down or waiting period (except a small stand down from inception date). The payout is normally within two to three weeks from diagnosis. The newer policies will also now pay a percentage (10% to 25%) of the sum assured for lesser events such as lesser cancers, angioplasty etc.
"The myriad of perils and possibilities that arise from surviving a life-threatening illness or injury and the flexibility and opportunities that come with Trauma cover are only two of the reasons why it will be the protection of the future."
The benefits can be increased each year by indexing to CPI or other factor.
If linked to Life cover (reduces the life cover if paid), you can also select the option (standard with some companies) to re-instate the reduced death cover after 12 months of survival without further underwriting.
You can also re-instate the trauma benefit (with some companies and some for the full sum assured) after 12 months of survival for all events except for the original trigger event or related events.
Even though suffering a major illness may not put you off work, some may like to take the opportunity to take some time off to get better without financial stress.
VIDEOS TO WATCH
What is Critical Illness Cover: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ2T76Cmcpo
Marius Barnard Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BugLXBbDpWo
Marius Barnard Part Two http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BugLXBbDpWo
THINGS TO BE AWARE OF WITH TRAUMA INSURANCE
- Products that cover a lesser number of conditions (7 to 13 events). These are also offered via bank insurance offerings (although some mainstream insurance companies also have this offer). While they tend to cover the major events (stroke, cancer, heart attack etc) they can miss a multitude of other conditions that are highly claimable (part payments for lesser events, intensive care benefits, diagnostic benefits, Loss of independent existence etc). For little more you can have cover for up to 43 events and while more is not necessarily better, the claimability is greatly increased.
- Accelerated benefit which reduces the death benefit if paid. This may mean that you are left with less cover than you need under your death benefit.
- Some newer contracts have a tick option (or built-in option) that allows you to re-instate the reduced death benefit typically after 12 months of the anniversary of the trauma payment and subsequent reduction in the death benefit.
- Some newer contract also have another priced option that will allow you to re-instate the trauma benefit after 12 months for all conditions except for the event or related events that triggered the trauma claim/payment.
If I remove my debt for my spouse if I died from a major illness, why don't I remove my debt for me (us) if I don't die?
Please tell me more about Trauma Cover
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