Critical Illness Rider Should Be Required In Term Plans.

When one thinks of life insurance they must consider opting for a term plan. This is the simplest and most cost effective insurance product. Term insurance plans are designed to ensure that in the event of the policy holder's death, the family gets the sum assured (the cover amount). Under the term plan, the policyholder has to pay premium regularly or a one-time payment depending upon the type of policy purchased. A sum of money (death benefit) is paid to the nominee if the policyholder dies during the period for which he/she is insured (policy term). The policyholder also gets a range of options to get enhanced protection. Some term plans also provide protection to the policyholder in the form of cash payouts on diagnosis of major illnesses like cancer, or heart attack or organ failure. Critical illness can dry out a person's finances in an unprecedented way and since they come without a warning, its best to have a term plan with a critical illness benefit. 

Five Reasons why your term plan must come with a critical illness benefit: 

1.Acts as an income replacement 2.Premiums stay the same 3.Double tax Benefits 4.Gives you a large cover that can take care of medical & day-to-day expenses 5.Increases chances of survival

A term insurance plan that comes with a critical illness benefit can cover both hospitalization and non-hospitalization expenses too and may also provide much needed cash flow during the recovery period. Alternatively, you can go for a higher health cover as a regular health cover provides a much wider coverage. 

When one is very ill, the medical bills mount up. Things get worse if the patient happens to be the sole bread earner as then there is no source of income at all and the going gets tough.

Take cancer, for instance, that alone accounts for 7 per cent of deaths in India. The cancer drug Herceptin, one of the most effective drugs for breast cancer, costs Rs 75,000- Rs 1 lakh for a vial. Patients typically need anywhere from 6 to 17 vials for treatment. Similarly, Avastin, another popular drug, costs anywhere between Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 a cycle, with patient requirements being 5 to 10 cycles per course. With the cost of treating this disease running into several lakhs of rupees, cancer patients often prefer to abandon the treatment rather than run into penury. Oncologists have plenty of depressing stories about families who have been completely destroyed in meeting the mounting treatment costs. 

Therefore, it is important for all of us to be prepared to handle such a situation and insurance builds our confidence to face such a challenge. With a critical illnesscover along with a term plan, one can get a tax-free lump sum in a one-off payment if one is diagnosed with a serious illness that is covered by insurance companies. 

You should use it in such a way that it pays off your mortgage, debts or any other liability you may have, or even pay for alterations to your home like getting a hospital bed installed or a wheel chair - should one require it. 

The critical illness benefit will pay out if one goes through the specific medical conditions listed on the policy. For instance some term plans cover critical illnesses like heart attack, stroke, certain types and stages of cancer and conditions such as multiple sclerosis. Many policies may also waive off future premiums if one is permanently disable. This is because on permanent disability it is most likely that you may lose your source of stable income and may not be able to pay future premium.

Points to consider before going in for critical illness cover: 

-Read the list of all critical illness insurance coverages included in your policy.

- Different companies offer risk coverage towards different critical illnesses. Study them carefully before incorporating them. 

While the maximum term of a plan is 30 years, it is interesting to note that the coverage continues even after claiming benefit on select critical illness. Besides, premium paid is eligible for deduction under section 80C & section 80D (the overall limit of deduction for investment u/s 80C & u/s 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961 are Rs. 1,50,000 & Rs. 25,000 respectively, subject to conditions mentioned therein).