A critical illness cover is an insurance which pays you a lump-sum of money if diagnosed with having one of the critical illnesses (see list) covered under the policy. It would give you the security of knowing that a guaranteed cash sum will be paid if the unexpected happens.

It is a named illness insurance cover - which means that you can claim only for the illnesses specified under the policy. (see list)

Although the Critical Illness policy covers illness, it is not a Mediclaim policy. It is complementary to a Mediclaim policy, being an additional policy which can be taken along with Mediclaim.

Under a benefit policy, the insurance company pays the policyholder a lump sum amount. Whether the client spends the amount received on the medical treatment or not rests on his or her own discretion.

It would depend on you. How much would you need to repay your mortgage, overdraft, loans or any credit card balances? Choose the amount that would cover all of this and keep your debt free. The freedom that comes from being debt free does wonders for recovery.

Chola MS Critical Healthline covers the following Critical Illnesses

• Cancer of specified severity
• Stroke resulting in permanent symptoms
• First Heart Attack
• Open chest CABG
• Kidney failure requiring regular dialysis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Major organ or bone marrow transplant
• Permanent paralysis of limbs
• Surgery of Aorta
• Primary pulmonary arterial hypertension
• Parkinson's Disease
• Motor Neuron disease with persistent symptoms

Under Critical Healthline insurance, the premium depends upon your age, gender and the Sum insured you choose. This policy has separate rates for male and female customers.

You will be required to declare your existing policy at the time of buying Chola Critical Healthline. However in case of occurrence of a critical illness, you can make a claim in both your policies simultaneously.

A Critical Healthline policy can be issued only for one year and has to be renewed every year. You can renew your policy every year till your lifetime.

After you have been diagnosed with a qualifying Critical Illness and the claim has been paid you can spend your money however you like. If you want to spend some of your money on alternative medicines that is entirely up to you!

Yes, you can include family members into your critical Illness policy. Each person will have an independent Sum Insured.

There will be no discount or the cumulative bonus for the policy on renewal.

Premium paid is exempt under IT section 80D.

Survival period is the time taken for the disease and its effects to become irreversible. In order to pay a claim for critical illness we need to establish the severity of illness and survival of the Insured person beyond the survival period.

The survival period under Chola MS Critical Healthline is as follows

• Cancer of specified severity - 30 days
• Stroke resulting in permanent symptoms - 90 days
• First Heart Attack - 30 days
• Open chest CABG - 30 days
• Kidney failure requiring regular dialysis - 30 days
• Multiple sclerosis - 180 days
• Major organ or bone marrow transplant - 30 days
• Permanent paralysis of limbs - 180 days
• Surgery of Aorta - 30 days
• Primary pulmonary arterial hypertension - 30 days
• Parkinson's Disease - 180 days
• Motor Neuron disease with persistent symptoms - 90 days

You can make a claim after 90 days of commencement of policy. This waiting period is not applicable for renewals.

Your policy terminates once you make a claim and a full claim is paid for any of the Critical Illnesses. You will not be able to renew your policy in the subsequent years also.

If the date of death is after the survival period specified for the particular disease, then the claim will be paid to the proposer or to the nominee subject to claim intimation and document submission.

If the date of death is within the necessary survival period for the disease, the claim will not be paid.

No, membership card is not required for Critical Illness Policy.

Since this is a benefit policy, it does not pay for the expenses you have incurred in the hospital. So cashless hospitalization cannot be availed with this policy.

The benefit amount is payable once the disease is diagnosed meeting specific criteria and you have survived the survival period specified against each disease after the diagnosis. The diagnosis needs to be supported with satisfactory medical evidence.

The claim form can be obtained from our local branch office or can be downloaded from our website www.cholainsurance.com. A claim form is also attached with the policy wordings booklet.