Legal and General has added five new conditions to its group critical illness ‘additional cover’ option taking the total number up to 33.
The new 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.
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.”
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