When Tina Landry sat down to review her workplace benefits at open enrollment last year, she didn’t think she’d ever need something like critical illness insurance. She felt healthy, had no family history of serious conditions, and had never had any concerning findings at her routine checkups. But as she approached her milestone 50th birthday, she decided, “You never know. I should sign up.”
That one quiet, practical choice ended up making a big difference.
Not long after enrolling in Guardian’s critical illness insurance, Tina went in for her regular mammogram. What started as a small concern soon led to a breast cancer diagnosis. Within a matter of months, she was navigating decisions no one ever feels prepared for — including electing to undergo a double mastectomy.
With all of the emotional and logistical weight of managing her care, Tina assumed that accessing her critical illness benefit would be complicated, too. Instead, the process surprised her: She simply submitted her claim online via Guardian Anytime (along with the required documentation), and a week later, her critical illness benefit payment was deposited directly into her bank account.
“It was financial support during my toughest fight,” she said. That meant she didn’t have to dip into savings, worry about covering the out-of-pocket and deductible costs from her health insurance plan, or hesitate before scheduling something important for her recovery.
It also meant she could invest in something that has become deeply meaningful to her, but her health insurance did not cover — nutritional counseling.
Today, Tina feels strong, healthy, and grateful. She also recognizes the power of that one simple decision to enroll in critical illness insurance — a decision she made because something told her it was the right thing to do.
“I never thought I’d need it,” she said. “But I’m so glad I had it. It let me focus on healing, not stressing.”