Insurer Bright Grey has made significant changes to its
Bright Grey makes big changes to its critical illness cover
Insurer Bright Grey has made significant changes to its critical illness cover, by introducing seven new health condition definitions.
Five of these will pay the full amount of the sum insured - and two that will provide additional cover (20% over and above the original sum insured) for early forms of cancer.
The five new definitions are for:
- Pulmonary artery graft surgery (surgery to divide the breastbone)
- Encephalitis (diagnosis of encephalitis resulting in permanent symptoms)
- Intensive care for ten days (any sickness or injury resulting in a person requiring continuous mechanical ventilation for ten consecutive days or more)
- Multiple system atrophy (diagnosis of multiple system atrophy resulting in permanent symptom)
- Pneumonectomy (the undergoing of surgery to remove an entire lung).
The additional two definitions are for:
- Ductal carcinoma in situ (the undergoing of a mastectomy, partial mastectomy, segmentectomy or lumpectomy operation for early forms of breast cancer)
- Low grade prostate cancer (tumours of the prostate classified as having a Gleason score between two and six inclusive)
The changes mean that Bright Grey now has a total of 43 critical illness definitions. And introducing cover for ductal carcinoma in situ - an early form of breast cancer - puts Bright Grey a step ahead of several competitors, who currently only offer cover for mastectomy.
Ian Smart, head of product development & technical support at Bright Grey, comments: "With the treatment of illnesses such as cancer, stroke and heart disease constantly improving and with more people surviving conditions they would have died from 20 years ago, it is crucial that our critical illness cover keeps pace with these advances."
Earlier this month, Bupa announced that its Cromwell Hospital in London has launched a new breast cancer screening service for women who are over 40 years old.