Trauma Cover Guide

You might think that when you have life insurance or Income Protection Insurance cover that you could not possibly need anything more, but this is not so. Term life insurance will not pay out anything while you are still alive, so cannot be counted on to help in the case of serious illness or accident. Accident insurance will not help you if you get sick because an illness is not classed as an accident.

However, trauma insurance will be of immense benefit as it pays out a lump sum benefit when a defined event occurs. I have provided a comprehensive list available under a sample CommInsure Trauma Plus policy:

Disorders Heart Attack Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Coronary Artery Disease Requiring By-Pass Surgery Coronary Artery Angioplasty* Coronary Artery Angioplasty – Triple Vessel Repair and Replacement of a Heart Valve Surgery of the Aorta Cardiomyopathy Primary Pulmonary Hypertension Open Heart Surgery Blood Disorders Occupationally Acquired HIV Medically Acquired HIV Aplastic Anaemia Advanced Diabetes

Nervous System Disorders Stroke Major Head Trauma Motor Neurone Disease Multiple Sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis of limited extent* Muscular Dystrophy Paraplegia Quadriplegia Hemiplegia Diplegia Tetraplegia Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease Coma Encephalitis Parkinson’s Disease

Body Organ Disorders Cancer Cancer of the Vulva or Perineum Removal of Carcinoma in situ of the breast* Benign Brain Tumour Blindness Chronic Kidney Failure* Major Organ or Bone Marrow Transplant Placement on a waiting list for Major Organ Transplant* Severe Burns Loss of Speech Loss of Hearing Chronic Liver Disease Chronic Lung Disease Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis Other Events Serious Injury* Critical Care* Loss of Limbs or Sight Loss of Independent Existence* Loss of One Hand or One Foot Additional Events Covered under Trauma Plus Cover Option Diabetes Complication* Carcinoma in situ of the Cervix Uteri* Carcinoma in situ of the Vulva or Perineum of limited extent* Carcinoma in situ of the Vagina* Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia* Hydatidiform Mole* Melanoma* Partial Blindness* Partial Loss of Hearing* Severe Osteoporosis*

Trauma policies are different from Income Protection Insurance in that a Trauma Insurance policy pays out a lump sum generally within 30 days of the event occurring for a defined event as above. So if you are diagnosed with a heart attack and you have trauma insurance policy and are back to work in the next 30 days you will still get paid out. Whilst Income Protection Insurance will pay for the time you are unable to work.

Exactly what trauma insurance pays out varies with the type you get. Cheaper premiums do not cover as wide a scenario as the more expensive comprehensive insurance policies, of course.

Trauma Insurance will help you pay the mortgage, pay the medical bills, or cover the cost of specialist’s fees or any necessary modifications to the home to help you manage.

Who should think seriously about getting trauma insurance? Well have a look at these statistics:

Cancer

• Next largest contributor to the Burden of Disease representing 19%
• The top 5 cancers in order are: Bowel, Breast, Prostate, melanoma & Lung

Cardio

• Next largest contributor to the Burden of Disease representing 18%
• 36% of those persons over the Age of 50 will die or 1 in 3.

Diabetes

• Accounts for 6% to the burden of disease (this is expected to double by 2020)
• Type 2 Diabetes accounts for 90% of all diabetes
• Diabetes doubles your risk for Heart Attack & Strokes
• 32% of Type 2 diabetics will end up with Renal Failure

Arthritis

• Accounts for 4% to the Burden of Disease
• There are over 150 forms of Arthritis
• The two most common are Osteoarthritis & Rheumatoid Arthritis
• 1 in 36 people that contract this disease are under the age of 18

It is not only those with a family to care for, but singles who would want to remain independent even through illness or accident; a homemaker who would usually be the carer for a family; those who prefer private medical treatment and anyone who has debt.

When you know that you have the correct insurance cover it takes a great deal of stress out of your life and after a trauma hits you at least won’t have to worry about how the bills are going to get paid.