Critical Illness Cover - What, Why and Where.

What Is Critical Illness Cover ?Way back when, in 1694 to be precise, the first notion ofinsuring a persons health was put forward by by Hugh the ElderChamberlen. Health Insurance developed through the centuries,but essentially it was insuring a persons health against adisablilty. That is, covering the costs of medical treatment fora person severly injured. As we have moved on into the modernworld along with the development of many other insurances we nowhave critical illness cover, a form of insurance that isdesigned to pay a lump sum when the policy holder is diagnosedwith a specific illness.The list of illness you can obtain cover for is varied, and ofcourse if you develop an illness that you are not covered forthen your insurance won't pay out. Some of the conditions youcan get cover for are the following.Alzheimer's disease Bacterial Meningitis Blindness Cancer ComaCoronary artery bypass surgery Deafness Heart attack Kidneyfailure Loss of limbs Major organ failure requiring transplantMultiple Sclerosis Occupational HIV Paralysis Parkinson'sdisease Severe burns StrokeThere are many more condition that can be covered, uponnegotiation with your insurance company.Why might I want Critical Illness Cover?It is a fact of life that people get seriously ill. And if youdo what are the consequences?If you have a partner and/or a family what does the loss of yourincome mean?Do you still have outstanding payments to be made on yourmortgage?Do you run your own business?Does the illness you have developed require specialisttreatment, perhaps not covered by other health plans you mighthave?At the end of the day your Critical Illness Cover is there toprovide a lump sum to help you through the potential financialdifficulties arising from a serious illness.Where can I get Cover?S with all types of insurance there are a multitude ofproviders. Some of the larger insurance companies that deal withall types of cover will undoubtedly be able to give you a quotefor cover. But also do not rule out some more of the morespecialist insurance providers. The main thing is to check outthe full details of your policy, if your family has a history ofa particular illness you must make sure your policy covers this,but also do bear in mind that you have to fully disclose yourfamily health history and your insurance premium will reflectthis.Mike Bromley