Cancer Cover from Zurich Life can help you financially, giving you one less thing to worry about and letting you concentrate on the main thing – getting better.
What is Cancer Cover?
There are few families in Ireland that have been unaffected by cancer. Cancer is very common. About 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with some form of invasive cancer* (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) in their lifetime.
Is Cancer Cover for me?
Many people are financially protected in the event of death, but too few people have sufficient ‘survival insurance’ in place. Serious illness protection is one such ‘survival insurance’, as is Cancer Cover. Cancer Cover is different to traditional serious illness plans as it focuses solely on cancer and therefore, it costs less than serious illness protection.
How it works
Having financial support at a time of physical and emotional stress can ensure that you are able to take the time off work, pay for specialist treatment or even cover day-to-day household bills such as childcare. Cancer Cover can be purchased as an additional benefit to most life insurance policies. It pays out a tax-free, cash lump sum if you are diagnosed with cancer of a specified severity. Your financial advisor can supply the full definition of cancer but most of the severe forms of cancer would ordinarily be covered, such as:
- Breast Cancer
- Lung Cancer
- Bowel Cancer
- Gynae Cancer
- Stomach Cancer
With Cancer Cover, we also provide partial payments for less severe, more treatable types of cancer. These ordinarily include:
- Testicular Cancer
- Early Stage Bladder Cancer
- Low Level Prostate Cancer
- Cancers in situ
Cancer Cover is available to those aged 18 to 65 and is available on a single, dual or joint life basis.
How much does it cost?
Source: Zurich Life, July 2023. Premiums quoted for non-smoker single life policy rates over a term 20 years.
Insurance Levy: A government insurance levy (currently 1% as at July 2023 and may change
in the future) applies to this policy. These sample premiums do not include this levy.
The financial implications of living with cancer
A report by the Irish Cancer Society** Ireland highlighted the severe financial implications of cancer on Irish families. The report highlighted a number of key areas of concern for cancer sufferers. This included:
- Increased medical costs such as consultant fees and expensive medications.
- Actual out of pocket expenses such as increased travel to appointments that may be in medical centres of excellence located at a distance away from home.
- Increased utility bills due to the extra time spent at home recovering from surgery
- Reduction in earnings due to patients (and their family members) having to take time off work. This is particularly relevant for those that are self-employed.
While many people fear the medical effects of cancer, the adverse financial implications are often ignored. The report highlighted the increased financial stress and financial strain experienced by many households where someone has been diagnosed with cancer. This increased financial stress and strain is associated with a greater likelihood of experiencing depression, anxiety or emotional stress.
Our commitment
We think our cancer definition won't be beaten in Ireland. And when it comes to making a claim, we want to make it easy for you. We understand that making a claim can be distressing so we will be here to support you and make sure that all valid claims are processed efficiently.
Summary of Benefits
- Provides a tax-free, cash lump sum to you if you are diagnosed with cancer of a specified definition.
- Your policy can cover more than one person.
- You can increase cover at times when you need it.
- Gives you time to focus on what really matters, getting better
* Source: National Cancer Registry Ireland (2021) Cancer in Ireland 1994-2019: Annual report of the National Cancer Registry.
** Source: National Cancer Society