Aviva is offering customers an even greater level of cover with enhancements to its critical illness insurance.
- New conditions added and enhancements made to existing conditions
Aviva is offering customers an even greater level of cover with enhancements to its critical illness (CI) insurance.
New conditions covered
From 17 October 2011, new Aviva CI customers will be able to receive partial payments for two early forms of cancer: low grade prostate cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ, an early form of breast cancer. For these conditions, claimants will receive a lump sum of up to £20,000*.
For both conditions Aviva covers all forms of recognised surgical treatments**. This is particularly important for breast cancer patients, given that many critical illness policies only cover mastectomy. A third of breast cancer cases are treated by a mastectomy, compared to two thirds treated by lumpectomy, which underlines the importance of covering several types of treatment.
The partial payments are also an additional benefit, separate to the main policy. This means that critical illness cover will continue to be in place, should the customer need to make a further claim in the future.
ABI plus conditions
In addition, Aviva has made enhancements to a number of conditions, taking them beyond the standard ABI guidelines to assume an "ABI plus" status. This provides more comprehensive cover for customers, meaning that more people may be able to claim - and in some cases bring forward a claim more quickly - under the new definitions. Aviva now offers 12 ABI plus conditions under its critical illness cover.
As part of this, Aviva is the first provider to make Multiple Sclerosis (MS) an ABI plus condition. The standard ABI definition requires six months of continuous symptoms to be presented after a definite diagnosis, before a claim is paid. Aviva has now reduced this to three months so that customers can benefit more quickly.
Robert Morrison, chief underwriter for Aviva says: “These enhancements are great news for customers who can now benefit from more comprehensive cover. Cancer treatments can take a huge emotional and physical toll, so this extra financial support is there to provide peace of mind so patients can concentrate on getting well.
“We wanted to be sure that any additions and changes to our CI policies would offer real benefits to our customers. Unfortunately one in three people in the UK get cancer: breast cancer is the most common form for women, while prostate cancer is the most prevalent for men, so we believe these enhancements could make a genuine difference to a great many people.”
Aviva paid £62 million to its critical illness (CI) customers during the first six months of 2011, a 21% hike on the same period last year. In total, 755 people received CI payments between January and June 2011, averaging £81,000 each.
During the first six months of the year 92.5% of critical illness claims were paid, bringing the last 12 months’ claims paid percentage to 94.3%. In 2010 Aviva paid the highest proportion of CI claims across the industry.
Aviva research has found that financial support can aid cancer patients in a number of ways:
- Providing peace of mind to aid physical and emotional recovery.
- Giving people the chance to take time off work to recover/adapt to lifestyle changes.
- Relieving the stress caused by juggling work and illness/treatment side effects.
- Covering new expenses such as childcare and support around the home.
-ends-
* Claimants will receive 20% of their sum insured up to a maximum of £20,000.
** The partial payment enhancements cover the following conditions:
- Ductal carcinoma in situ: A diagnosis of this early form of breast cancer always requires surgical removal. Many providers only cover mastectomy treatments for carcinoma in situ of the breast. However, Aviva covers mastectomy, partial mastectomy, segmentectomy and lumpectomy as well as other treatments.
- Low grade prostate: Unlike other providers Aviva covers all current recognised surgical treatments of low grade prostate cancer.
If you are a journalist and would like further information, please contact:
Sarah Poulter - Aviva Press Office
01904 452828 / 07800 691569
sarah.poulter@aviva.co.uk
Notes to editors:
Aviva is the world’s sixth largest* insurance group. We provide 44.5 million customers with insurance, savings and investment products with total worldwide sales in 2010 of £47.1 billion**.
We are the UK’s largest insurer with over 14 million customers. Our combination of life, health and general insurance is unique in its scale and breadth in the UK market. Customers can choose to buy our products through intermediaries, our corporate partners or from Aviva direct and we have become the partner of choice for many of the UK’s biggest organisations.
We are ranked as one of the UK’s top 10 most valuable brands and Aviva plc are in the top 10% of socially responsible companies globally in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. In 2010 we invested £4.3m into our communities in the UK, which included 1,500 Aviva volunteers giving 24,000 hours for good causes. In addition, our employees gave £600,000 through fundraising and donating. Read our corporate responsibility report at www.aviva.com/2010cr.
Aviva is working in partnership with Railway Children through the Aviva Street to School programme to get children living or working on UK streets back into everyday life. Find out more at www.aviva.co.uk/street-to-school.
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* based on gross worldwide premiums at 31 December 2010.
** at 31 December 2010.