Critical illness insurance
Help protect yourself during unexpected moments
Life can take many turns, and a serious medical emergency or illness often comes when we least expect it. And managing out-of-pocket costs in the event of a critical illness diagnosis can add even more stress. That's where critical illness insurance comes in as a complement to your major medical coverage. With benefit payments made directly to you, you can support your mind, body, and wallet®.
Who is it for?
It's for people concerned about out-of-pocket expenses who want additional financial protection in the event the diagnosis of a critical illness. So they can complement their medical insurance while recovering from a covered illness.
What does it cover?
Plan designs can be customized to cover many major illnesses like stroke, heart attack, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and more. If you're diagnosed with one of these illnesses, the benefit payment goes directly to you, not the doctor or hospital.
Why consider it?
Consider critical illness as an affordable supplement to your medical insurance. You can use the benefit to pay additional expenses that occur with a critical illness diagnosis such as travel, additional child care, or help at home.
One-third of US adults say they've skipped recommended medical treatment due to cost, while 4 in 10 have delayed needed care.¹
Health screening benefits**
With Guardian Critical Illness Insurance, when you or someone covered under your plan completes certain routine screenings — such as a blood test, chest X-ray, colonoscopy, or stress test — you're eligible to receive a benefit payment once a year. Even if you have no out-of-pocket expense.
Managing higher out-of-pocket medical costs
When medical costs go up, stress, worry, and pressure can easily rise, too. Critical illness insurance can help cover expenses such as deductibles or copays associated with a diagnosis of a covered critical illness.
1 Kaiser Family Foundation Health Care Debt Survey (Feb. 25–Mar. 20, 2022).
Guardian’s Group Critical Illness Insurance is underwritten and issued by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. Products are not available in all states. Policy limitations and exclusions apply. Optional riders and/or features may incur additional costs. This is a limited plan of supplemental health insurance that provides the specified financial support, as a lump sum or indemnity payment, following the diagnosis of a critical illness. This is not minimum essential coverage as defined by federal law. This coverage will not reimburse for hospital or medical expenses. Generic Policy Form # GP-1-CI-14; CI-23-P. The state approved form is the governing document.
In New York, Critical Illness is referred to as Specified Disease.
*All scenarios and names mentioned herein are purely fictional and have been created solely for educational purposes. Any resemblance to existing situations, persons or fictional characters is coincidental.
**Lump sum payments, health screening benefits and hospitalization benefit are optional plan choices determined by your employer.
