There is a long list of things we don’t want to think about in our day to day lives, and they tend to be the macabre of life. The wills, the organ donation cards – even the music we want played at our funerals. While this all looks at the darker side of life they are also some of the most important aspects as we want to make it easier for those we leave behind and take certain decisions out of their hands. Into this category falls critical illness insurance; this isn’t something we think about as no one likes to imagine a future where they are too ill to work, be it for a short or longer period of time. But as with all of the other aspects of life that we push to one side it is important to think about and plan now as it means should the worst happen there is something in place to help you and your loved ones through it, or at least make it easier.

Critical illness insurance, put simply, is there to take one burden off your shoulders if you become seriously ill or totally disabled, as it pays out a tax free lump sum to help you pay for bills, mortgages and other everyday expenses, allowing you to concentrate on the hard task of recovering. The vast majority of critical illness insurance policies require that you survive at least one month after you are first diagnosed by a doctor before they will pay out the policy.

There are set illness or diseases that are covered by critical illness insurance; these can be numerous but there are 7 main conditions that are definitely covered. These are cancer, strokes, major organ transplants, heart attacks, coronary artery bypass, multiple sclerosis and kidney failure. The policies will also pay out if the policy holder is permanently disabled as a result of injury or illness.

Another type of insurance some people might consider unecessary is life insurance but it really can provide you with the financial security you need to really get on with, and enjoy your life.