The article also makes the statement that Trauma Insurance is becoming more popular among New Zealand consumers as a knowledge spreads through the populace that it is more likely to be claimed upon than life insurance.
"General manger of adviser distribution Jeremy Nicoll said it was a product that advisers should be discussing with their clients. “It does provide a good amount of money to help customers when they do have one of these conditions… Customers understand they are more likely to claim. Everyone has a friend who has contracted some form of cancer.”"
In short, for those who don't know, trauma insurance is a form of cover that pays out a lump sum to you if you suffer a critical illness. With the advances in medical technology, it is now highly likely that you will survive these conditions but will then be forced to undergo a period of recovery and rehabilitation where you will be unable to continue work and earn a living. Trauma insurance is thus designed to help you cope with illness and its effects on your family and your lifestyle.
Most providers will give you a full list of the conditions covered. Sovereign for instance, has 44 conditions that are covered, from the most common such as cancers, heart attacks or strokes to more rare conditions such as liver failure, lung disease, paralysis and neurological disorders. For a full list of Sovereign's covered illnesses and the conditions upon each, check out their Living Assurance PDF here.
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| There is a long list of conditions covered by trauma insurance. Make sure you know which ones are covered before you start and read all policy documents given thoroughly. |
Trauma insurance is becoming more popular as the knowledge begins to sink in through first and second hand experience that in this day and age a quick death due to a sudden illness is more and more unlikely. The more likely scenario is a long period of recovery, but if you only have life insurance it will not pay out, leaving you in the lurch at your most stressful time.
With the statistics on critical illness in New Zealand the way they are, it's heartening to see Trauma cover becoming more popular, as it is important, perhaps these days equally as important as life cover (once considered the crucial form of insurance to have). Stay tuned for a future post on extra add on benefits you can add to your trauma cover to get even more out of it, and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions!
