UK: Aviva launches video to help customers understand critical illness cover

Aviva has today launched a short film to help customers understand how critical illness (CI) insurance works, while highlighting some of the main conditions it covers. Developed with both advisers and customers in mind, the film can be used by advisers to help aid their clients’ understanding of CI cover.

In the eight-minute video, Aviva claims philosophy manager Andy Doran explains what critical illness cover is and provides a brief overview of the top ten conditions. This ‘top 10’ focus contrasts with the increasingly complicated CI market, in recognition that 98% of Aviva claims are actually made against these 10 core conditions. It can be seen at www.aviva.co.uk/adviser/family-protection.

Each condition is described briefly in plain English, to explain why they are included within Aviva’s critical illness policies. The top ten conditions are cancer, heart attack, stroke, multiple sclerosis, benign brain tumour, coronary artery by-pass grafts, heart valve replacement or repair, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease and kidney failure.

The film is also designed to help customers understand what is covered for these individual conditions, so people are better informed about what critical illness cover is there for. This is particularly important for conditions such as cancer and multiple sclerosis which can have different severity levels and therefore different impacts on people’s lives.

For example, the video makes clear that while malignant cancers (where cancer cells have spread to healthy tissue) are covered, early cancers (such as cancer in situ) are often not, because the prognosis for these early types of cancer is often a full recovery. However, it goes on to explain that some specific types - early prostate cancer and early breast cancer - are eligible for additional benefits* of up to £20,000, in recognition that treatment or surgery will be required.

It provides a similar clarification for multiple sclerosis (MS), explaining that symptoms need to be presented for three months (to ensure that they are actually being caused by MS) before a claim can be made. This is because it is difficult to diagnose, as the initial symptoms can be quite vague.

Louise Colley, protection distribution director for Aviva says: “We know from our claims experience just how invaluable critical illness cover can be, but we’re also aware that the vast majority of people think ‘it wont happen to me’. Sadly the reality is very different.

“With the help of this short film, advisers can explain to their clients the benefits of critical illness cover, as well as the main conditions it covers and why. Too many people are confused about this type of insurance and the protection it provides, so this video offers another way to show the importance of protection in a simple, accessible way.”

Chris Hulme, specialist protection broker for The Clayton Hulme Partnership adds: “The multitude of conditions covered can be a minefield for clients to understand. Dealing with the core 10 in detail brings home to the client just how important such cover is, not as a want but as an absolute need.

“Aviva’s commitment to educate in layman’s terms can only help people understand whether a policy will do its job when it’s needed. With more than one in three of us expected to meet one of these claimable conditions in our lifetime, this is a must see and must hear for 100% of the population.”

Facts about Aviva critical illness cover:

* Aviva critical illness insurance covers 53 conditions, 17 of which are ABI+ definitions.
* In 2012 Aviva customers received more than £131 million for critical illness claims.
* The average sum paid to Aviva critical illness customers in 2012 was £76,499.
* In 2012, 1,716 customers received payments for claims on their Aviva critical illness policies.

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Notes to editors:

Aviva’s life and critical illness cover pays out a lump sum if the life insured either dies or is diagnosed with a critical illness that meets the policy definition and then survives for at least 14 days. Critical illness insurance only covers conditions defined in the policy and no others.

* Aviva critical illness cover offers seven ‘additional benefits’ where customers can claim for certain conditions while their policy remains in force and the full sum assured is unaffected. Claimants will receive 20% of their sum insured up to a maximum of £20,000.

About Aviva:

Aviva provides insurance, savings and investment products to 34 million customers worldwide.

We are the UK’s largest insurer with over 14 million customers and one of Europe’s leading providers of life and general insurance. We combine strong life insurance, general insurance and asset management businesses under one powerful brand. We are committed to serving our customers well in order to build a stronger, sustainable business, which makes a positive contribution to society, and for which our people are proud to work.

Aviva Plc is in the top 10% of socially responsible companies globally in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. In 2012 we invested £5.7m into our UK communities. One in three of our employees were involved in community investment activities which included giving nearly 30,000 hours.

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, especially education. Find out more at www.aviva.co.uk/street-to-school.

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