Some critical illness insurance policies cover three or four conditions, but others cover about 30. The conditions covered vary among carriers and policies.

Some of the conditions that critical illness insurance typically covers can include, but are not limited to:

Stroke, cancer, severe burns, heart attack, major organ failure, Alzheimer’s disease, aortic surgery, loss of limbs, aplastic anaemia, bacterial meningitis, benign brain tumour, blindness, coma, coronary artery bypass surgery,

paralysis, deafness, heart valve replacement, loss of speech, kidney failure, motor neuron disease, loss of independent existence, major organ transplant, MS, occupational HIV infection, and Parkinson’s disease.

Here are some ways you can save money on a critical illness insurance premium:

1. Choose a critical illness insurance policy that is the best for your risk factors

In most cases, the more conditions covered, the more expensive the policy. If cancer is a risk factor due to family health history, for example. You may be better served with a policy that covers cancer, heart attack, and stroke than a policy that covers 15 or more illnesses, most of which may be low risk for you.

2. Some policies will exclude certain conditions, such as loss of eyesight

Weigh the pros and cons carefully of exclusions, but recognize that the lower the risk you present to an underwriter, the lower your premium.

3. Did you know that insurers round your age up or down depending on when you apply for a policy?

If your birthday is close to the end of the year, buy your critical illness insurance policy in the first six months of the year to take advantage of age rounding.