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Terminal illness insurance is generally available as an option with your standard life insurance policy and provides a benefit when you're diagnosed with a terminal illness and are not expected to live for more than 12 months.
A terminal illness benefit is an insurance payout usually offered as part of a life insurance benefit. The benefit is paid to you in the event that you are diagnosed with a terminal illness and are only expected to live for a certain amount of time. The benefit is designed to help with any end of life care you may require, as well as any preparations you may want to make before you pass away.
Most life insurance policies will have a terminal illness benefit included. Some insurers will allow you to claim your entire life insurance benefit as a terminal illness advancement, while others have a limit on the amount you can claim. Pay attention to the column that lists the terminal illness benefit for each provider below, and then hit Get Quote to start comparing.
Brand | Maximum time left to live (as confirmed by a medical practitioner). | How much is paid out? |
---|---|---|
Asteron | 24 months | Life Cover sum insured less any payments Asteron has made payments for TPD or Trauma |
BT | 24 months | Death benefit is paid as shown on certificate |
ClearView | 24 months | The greater of your benefit amount at the date you die and premiums you have paid over the life of the policy |
Comminsure | 24 months | Original sum insured |
MLC | 24 months | Original sum insured |
OnePath | 24 months | Lump sum benefit |
TAL | 12 months | We pay a lump sum in the event of death or diagnosis of a Terminal Illness. The amount we pay is the Benefit Amount you choose. |
Zurich Futurewise | 12 months | Original sum insured |
Zurich Wealth Protection | 24 months | Death benefit |
ANZ | 12 months | The amount you're covered for is shown on your Policy Schedule. |
NobleOak | 12 months | Up to a maximum of $3 million |
Virgin | 12 months | Up to $1.5 million cover for death and terminal illness. |
Zurich Ezicover | 12 months | The amount payable under this Death benefit is reduced by any amount paid under the Cash advance benefit. |
InsuranceLine | 12 months | $1.5 million |
Real | 12 months | Original sum insured |
TAL | 12 months | Original sum insured |
Woolworths | 12 months | Original sum insured |
Data taken from brand product disclosure statements on July 2020. Benefits, conditions and amounts are subject to change at anytime.
The definition of a terminal illness varies depending on your policy. If you hold cover outside your super, before paying a terminal illness benefit the insurer will need to be satisfied that you will likely pass away as a result of your illness within a timeframe of either 12 or 24 months. Check the fine print of your life insurance policy to find out which terminal illness timeframe applies to your cover.
When you apply for life insurance cover, you’ll need to provide some important details about your health and medical history. Depending on the type of policy, you may also need to undergo medical tests to determine your overall health. So if you’ve already been diagnosed as terminally ill, life insurers will refuse to provide you with any cover.
Rather than having to wait for you to pass away before receiving a benefit, your family can receive the immediate financial support they need
The main advantage of receiving a terminal illness benefit is that you receive quicker access to the proceeds of your life insurance policy. This allows you and your loved ones to cover the costs that could arise immediately after a diagnosis of terminal illness, such as medical expenses and an ongoing replacement income. Rather than having to wait for you to pass away before receiving a benefit, your family can receive the immediate financial support they need.
Receiving a terminal illness benefit instead of a death benefit also allows you to live the rest of your life how you want. Rather than stressing about money and providing for your family, a terminal illness benefit can help you tick a few items off your bucket list or to create some precious memories together with your family. In addition, instead of dealing with the stress of making a life insurance claim when you pass away, your family will be able to focus on grieving their loss.
There are no restrictions on how you can use a terminal illness benefit. While a large portion of the proceeds will most likely go towards providing for your family after you’re gone, you might also want to use some of the benefit for the following:
You will need to follow a few simple steps to make a terminal illness claim under your life cover policy. After contacting your insurer, you will usually need to provide the following:
Once you’ve submitted all the required information, your claim will typically be processed as quickly as possible.
Terminal illness insurance is different from critical illness insurance but the two terms are often used interchangeably.
When applying for life insurance the insurance company will factor in your age, health employment, environment, an other activities, in order to be able to arrive at the correct premium for you to pay. It is important that you be honest in answering all these questions.
If you fudge any area at all, when the time comes to make a claim, you may be declined.
Most life insurance policies will look at your risk when:
An adviser can help you find cover from trusted life insurance brands.
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