These conditions are:
- Balloon valvuloplasty: to relieve heart valvular abnormalities
- Heart surgery: with surgery to divide the breastbone
- Pulmonary artery surgery: to excise and replace with a graft
- Respiratory failure: of advanced stage
- Terminal illness before age 65
Legal and General has also increased the maximum free limit to £500,000, which means that in future fewer individuals will need to be underwritten. Plus it has added the option for a 14-day survival period instead of the more traditional 30 days. At the same time, it has increased the maximum benefit for spouses and registered civil partners to £150,000, and increased the maximum benefit for all employees for new voluntary plans from £150,000 to £250,000 benefit.
These improvements are available immediately for all new Legal and General Group Critical Illness Cover, and current policyholders can take advantage at their next rate review.
Vanessa Sallows, Benefits and Medical Underwriting Director for Group Protection said:
“This market continues to grow in popularity. During the first six months of this year, we’ve seen the amount of new business increase by 50% over last year. As market leader, we think it’s important that we continue to refresh and update the product to reflect today’s requirements.”
