This week I received an email from my Income Protection insurance provider and it was a nice little reminder of what is included in my policy.
The policy costs me me about £9.80 per month and I set it up when my daughter was born. However, I did not set it up for the income protection insurance…
Why set up a policy?
At £9.80 this policy covers me for £500 a month, at the time it was enough to pay my mortgage, now it would not cover my mortgage so I am definitely due a review, but lets ignore that for the time being.
I set up the policy because it includes something called “Best Doctors”. After my daughter was born we were in and out of hospital with her for around 6 months. It felt like we were going in for blood tests and biopsies and getting nowhere!
Best Doctors allowed me to send off her medical reports and get a second opinion from a specialist Doctor in that particular field.
My daughter is fine now, she is 6 turning 16 and happy and healthy – if not a little stroppy at times.
What else is included in my policy?
I only set the policy up for Best Doctors. £9.80 for that cover for me is money well spent. The £500 a month if I need it is a bonus. But there is far more included!
Best Doctors – as mentioned above. I have used this twice! Once for my daughter and once for myself when I found some lumps! Again, nothing to worry about and you will be stuck with me being your mortgage broker for a while longer (if you want us that is).
Best Doctors global treatment – this is an add on that comes at a cost. Originally it was £4 a month, I think it is now £3 a month (and is included in the £9.80). Global treatment allows you to go to the best doctors in the world for treatment of certain conditions (typically serious conditions such as cancer or certain organ transplants).
An annual health check – a self-administered fingerprick blood test looks at 20 different health markers to spot problems early, including diabetes risk, cholesterol status and liver health. It also includes a personalised health report with a follow-up digital GP consultation available.
Nutritional consultations – consultations with a trained nutritionist for you and your eligible immediate family. It offers advice and guidance on eating plans, relationship with food and breaking bad habits.
Bupa Anytime HealthLine – speak to a Bupa nurse for everyday health support with unlimited phone calls 24/7, 365 days a year. This service can be shared between you and your eligible immediate family members. This service is a little like NHS 111 but you can get through much quicker. Again, having a young child I have used this a few times.
Bereavement Support – for the times when you need it most, this is six telephone sessions for 12 months after the death of a close family member, shared between you and your eligible immediate family members.
What else can be included?
The above is what is included in my policy. However other providers have other added benefits. These can include things like:
Online GP appointments – I think we have all seen it can take a while to get a GP appointment and the rush for the 8am monday morning phone lottery. This can be a good way to avoid those.
Rehabilitation support – This varies from insurer to insurer. For some it could be mental health, for others it might include some physio sessions etc.
Fracture Cover – Some providers offer additional cover in the form of Fracture cover. This in essence pays out a lump sum if you break a bone.
The list provided here is just an overview to cover off the bigger additional benefits. There are other options.
Summary
I think from my personal experience and as a broker, it is important to try to get across that life insurance or income protection is not just life insurance or income protection anymore. Yes, the insurance is generally the same. It is the added extra, some of which are included free of charge and some come at an additional cost which can separate the polices considerably.
From a purely personal perspective, the insurance part of my policy I have never made a claim on. It is the added extras I have. And one of those extras was the sole reason I signed up for the policy in the first place.
Yes, we all want the money (or do we? I suppose in an ideal world we hope the money is wasted as it means your health has stood the test of time). But it might be the extras which prove to make the policy worthwhile. The extra benefits might be the bit that helps you to get your health and in turn life, back.