Bupa critical illness cover - your questions
- How do I make a claim?
- Can I include my children?
- Can I make changes to my policy?
- Can I cash in my plan if I don't make a claim?
- What's covered by a Bupa critical illness policy?
- Are pay-outs taxed?
- What's not covered by a Bupa critical illness policy?
How do I make a claim?
You must make your claim as soon as you can. You should always contact us at Bupa Health Assurance Limited, The Core, 40 St Thomas Street, Bristol, BS1 6JX. Alternatively, call us on 0845 600 3122. Remember to have your Bupa membership number handy when you call. For more information on making a claim, see your membership handbook.
Can I include my children?
Yes, you can include dependent children aged between 30 days and 18 years who live with you at your home address. Children under your membership will be covered for all the specified illnesses and operations (except insulin dependent diabetes mellitus) for a lump sum benefit equal to 25 percent of your total cover (up to a maximum of £25,000). Benefits are only payable once for each child after which the child's cover will cease. Claims for children will not affect your cover.
Can I make changes to my policy?
Yes, you can request to make changes to your membership at any time, we will consider your request at our discretion. If you ask to increase the benefit you have, we can ask you to give us extra medical, financial or other information. Just give us a call on 0845 600 3122* to discuss your options.
Even if you don't want to make any changes, your personal circumstances may change during the term of your cover, so we recommend that you review your plan from time-to-time to make sure it still meets your needs.
Can I cash in my plan if I don't make a claim?
No, your plan has no surrender value at any time.
What's covered by Bupa critical illness cover?
The list below shows the specified illnesses and operations covered by Bupa critical illness cover. We should point out that each critical illness is only a guide to what's covered. For example, some types of cancer are not covered. See your membership handbook for further details of how we will consider your claim, including the full definitions we'll use and the evidence we'll need.
Specified illnesses and operations covered by Bupa critical illness cover
- Alzheimer's disease - resulting in permanent symptoms.
- Aorta graft surgery.
- Aplastic anaemia - of specified severity.
- Bacterial meningitis - resulting in permanent symptoms.
- Benign brain tumour - resulting in permanent symptoms.
- Blindness - permanent and irreversible.
- Cancer - excluding less advanced cases.
- Cardiomyopathy - of specified severity.
- Chronic rheumatoid arthritis.
- Coma - resulting in permanent symptoms.
- Coronary angioplasty - of specified severity.
- Coronary artery by-pass grafts - with surgery to divide the breast bone.
- Creutzfeld-Jacob disease - resulting in permanent symptoms.
- Deafness - permanent and irreversible.
- Dementia - resulting in permanent symptoms.
- Heart attack - of specified severity.
- Heart valve replacement or repair - with surgery to divide the breastbone.
- HIV infection - caught from a blood transfusion, a physical assault or at work in an eligible occupation.
- Kidney failure - requiring dialysis.
- Liver failure.
- Loss of hands or feet - permanent physical severance.
- Loss of independence.
- Loss of speech - permanent and irreversible.
- Major organ transplant.
- Motor neurone disease - resulting in permanent symptoms.
- Multiple sclerosis - with persisting symptoms.
- Open heart surgery.
- Paralysis of limbs - total and irreversible.
- Parkinson's disease - resulting in permanent symptoms.
- Progressive supra-nuclear palsy - resulting in permanent symptoms.
- Respiratory failure - severe lung disease - of specified severity.
- Stroke - resulting in permanent symptoms.
- Systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Third degree burns - covering 20 percent of the body's surface area or 50 percent loss of surface area of the face.
- Traumatic head injury - resulting in permanent symptoms.
- Type 1 insulin dependent diabetes mellitus - of specified severity, diagnosed after the age of 40
- Cover is also provided for death and terminal illness on Critical illness with Life Cover.
- Partial benefit is payable for mastectomy in the presence of ductal carcinoma in situ. This will be the lower of 12.5 percent of benefit and £12,500. This is in addition to your main benefit and your cover will not end after the partial benefit is paid.
- Partial benefit is payable for low-grade prostate cancer. This will be the lower of 25 percent benefit and £25,000.This is in addition to your main benefit and your cover will not end after the partial benefit is paid.
Are pay-outs taxed?
No, not under current legislation and Inland Revenue practice but it may be taxable in the future if the legislation or practice changes.
What's not covered?
The following information provides a summary of what's not included under the terms of the policy, but further exclusions and restrictions may apply and you must refer to your membership handbook.
- You do not tell us about your claim as soon as you can.
- Where the claim results from or relates to self inflicted injury.
- If the claim is for a child and the condition is familial or congenital or if symptoms first arose before
- The start of your cover.
- The child reaching the age of 30 days.
- Your legal adoption or legal guardianship of the child.
- If you don't provide the assistance or information we need to assess your claim, we may ask the person covered to attend a medical examination. We will pay for the medical examination but not any expenses incurred in attending.
- Additional terms apply to fracture cover benefit, premium waiver benefit and child cover benefit. See your membership handbook for more information.
* Calls may be recorded and may be monitored.
