OneInsure Blog
Post By abhishek
Standalone Policy required or Rider enough? All you need to know about Critical Illness Insurance
Comments
Critical Illness Insurance, Health Insurance
The issue with Critical Illnesses is that they creep up on you all of a sudden. One day you’re feeling great and on top of the world, and the very next week you could be given news by the doctor during your routine annual medical check-up that a tumour has been found in your spine.
This is why having Critical Illness insurance by your side has become an important aspect of the urban Indian’s financial planning. A Critical Illness policy will take care of life-threatening (cancer, major organ transplant, multiple sclerosis, third-degree burns, aorta graft surgery) and lifestyle-disabling (heart valve replacement/repair, coma of specified severity, total blindness, end-stage renal disease) illnesses.
When it comes to Critical Illness insurance, you broadly have 3 different options to choose from:
- Standalone Critical Illness policy
- Critical Illness rider with a health insurance product
- Critical Illness rider with a life insurance product
The following is a list of the components of an insurance policy under which we have first given a fair view of each option (that is, a rider and a standalone plan) and then later we have suggested what you should choose on the basis of your needs.
The Coverage Amount
The coverage amount in case of a rider depends on the base policy with which you are opting for an additional rider. Hence, it cannot exceed 30% of the coverage amount of the base policy. However, the coverage amount in case of a standalone policy is up to you.
Our Suggestion: If you want a higher cover, then a standalone policy, where you get to choose the coverage amount, is the right fit.
The Premium
The premiums of a standalone policy remain the same unless you reach a specific age. However, although the premiums of a rider taken with a life insurance policy remain constant throughout, the premium of a rider taken with a health plan increases with increasing age. But the premium amount you would pay in a standalone policy will be slightly higher compared to a Critical Illness rider.
Our Suggestion: You can either choose to pay lesser premiums and get a lower coverage amount or pay higher premiums for a higher cover. It is always a wise decision to have a higher cover, which you would get with a standalone policy.
Renewability
A standalone Critical Illness policy can be renewed lifelong while a Critical Illness rider is renewed with the base policy. So, if the base policy becomes invalid, the rider also stands invalid.
Our Suggestion: Quite obviously, a standalone Critical Illness policy is a clear winner here.
Number of Critical Illnesses Covered
The number of diseases covered in a standalone Critical Illness plan is comparatively higher than a Critical Illness rider.
Our Suggestion: A standalone plan is better if you wish to play safe and get yourself covered against as many diseases as possible.
Conclusion
In all the aforementioned parameters, a standalone Critical Illness plan comes out as the winner. For queries, call 86559-86559 or drop an email at support@oneinsure.com.