What is a dread disease?
1Life Dread Disease Cover policies cover conditions such as cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and multiple sclerosis. Other illnesses that may be covered include Parkinson's disease, kidney failure, and organ transplants. The illnesses are listed in the 1Life Policy Book. It's important to carefully review the policy wording to understand what illnesses and diseases are covered, as well as any exclusions or limitations that may apply.
Why is dread disease cover important?
You might be wondering ‘why do I need dread disease cover?’. The reality is that critical illnesses can strike anyone at any time, regardless of age or health. The financial impact of a critical illness can be significant, from medical bills to lost income and other related expenses. That’s where dread disease benefits come in.
Having dread disease cover in place can provide a safety net, helping to ease the financial burden of serious illnesses and allowing you to focus on your recovery. In addition, dread disease cover can offer peace of mind, as you know that you have financial protection in place if the worst happens. So while it's impossible to predict what the future holds, having dread disease cover can help you be prepared for whatever life throws your way.
1Life Dread Disease Cover offers more than just financial protection against critical illness. With the Guaranteed Assurability benefit you can increase your sum assured with no underwriting, apart from a new negative HIV test, every three years on the anniversary of your policy or after you get married, have or adopt a child, buy a home or start a business. Plus no waiting periods apply to your policy* and your premiums are fixed for 12 months! (*Ts & Cs and limits may apply)
How does dread disease cover differ from disability cover?
Dread disease cover and disability cover both offer financial protection against illness and accidents, but they are two very different types of cover. Dread disease cover pays a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a dread disease, whereas disability insurance pays out if you are disabled by accident or illness. You can choose between:
- Occupation-based Disability Cover which pays out a lump sum if the policyholder becomes totally and permanently disabled and can't perform their regular job or any other job based on their education, training, and experience
- Event-based Disability Cover which pays a percentage of the sum assured according to specific criteria described in the policy schedule or policy book, for example the loss of a limb, blindness or deafness. Be sure to review policy terms carefully to determine which policy benefits are most suitable for your needs.
How do dread disease claims work?
To make a claim you need to complete the required forms which can be submitted via fax or email. Contact our claims department on 0860 10 51 96 to get started.
There are important time limits that apply to making claims:
- Any event that may result in a claim on a disability or dread disease benefit must be reported to 1Life Insurance within 3 months of it happening.
- Initial claims documentation must be sent to 1Life Insurance within 3 months of the claims team being notified of this event
- Any additional documents needed to process the claim must be sent to 1Life Insurance within 3 months.
Top tips: While 1Life Dread Disease Cover does not have any waiting periods it does have a survival period of at least 28 days. This means that if death occurs as a result of the dread disease within 28 days of the diagnosis date, the claim will not be approved.
Important policy conditions
You must inform 1Life Insurance if you leave the country for more than 14 days, start smoking, engage in a hazardous pursuit or change your occupation. If you do not inform us of these changes any claims you make might be reduced or rejected. You should also check your policy book and policy schedule for any general or specific exclusions that might apply to your policy.
In conclusion, dread disease cover can provide critical financial support as well as peace of mind if you are diagnosed with a critical illness.
Chat to our team about a 1Life Dread Disease Cover quote. You get a tax-free lump sum pay-out of up to R4 million with 1 call and no medical exams, just an HIV test.
*Note
While no waiting periods apply to your policy there is a survival period that means the lump sum will only be paid if the assured survives for at least 28 days from the date of diagnosis.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of 1Life Insurance or its employees.