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Critical illness insurance

Critical illness insurance helps you focus on your recovery, not your finances.

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What is critical illness insurance?

Critical illness insurance helps you pay for expenses that can occur when you experience a serious illness. It’s a benefit payout you receive if you ever experience a serious illness like cancer or a stroke.

  • Who is critical illness insurance for? - Icon - Financial protection

    Who is critical illness insurance for?

    Critical illness insurance is a good option for anyone who wants additional financial protection that can help them preserve savings or minimize debt in the event of a serious health condition. We offer policies available through many employers.

  • What does critical illness insurance cover? - Icon - Critical illness

    What does critical illness insurance cover?

    Critical illnesses include stroke, heart attacks, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and more. Our policies can cover more than 30 major illnesses. If you happen to get diagnosed with one of these illnesses, our plans can pay you a lump sum of up to $50,000.¹

Why should I consider critical illness insurance?

It's an affordable way to supplement and pay for the additional expenses that can come with serious illness. Plus, some of our policies pay out benefits for preventing, diagnosing, and treating less serious conditions.

Already have Guardian critical illness insurance?

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What are the benefits of our critical illness insurance?

Here’s how you can get critical illness insurance with us

  • Get it through work

    We work with many employers to provide their workers with critical illness insurance as part of their benefits package. If you want to elect Guardian critical illness insurance through your employer, please speak to your benefits or human resources department.

  • Offer critical illness insurance to your employees

    Critical illness insurance is a great way for companies to help employees add more financial protection they can use in the event of an unexpected diagnosis or condition. We provide businesses with greater flexibility and optional features to meet their unique situation.

  • Talk to your broker to get started

    Connect us to your benefits broker and we’ll work with your team to determine the best coverage for your company’s needs.

Need more information?

Here are resources to help you learn and compare.

  • Why clients need critical illness coverage - Supportive caregiver holding hand of parkinson patient

    Why clients need critical illness coverage

    Read more

  • How supplemental health insurance works - Young boy playing soccer and laying down in grass with soccer ball

    How supplemental health insurance works

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1 Lump sum payments, wellness benefits and hospitalization benefit are optional plan choices determined by your employer. 

In New York, Critical Illness is referred to as Specified Disease. 

Guardian's 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. The state approved form is the governing document. 

This information is not intended for residents of Arizona and New Mexico. 

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Critical illness insurance pays you directly without any deductible or extra waiting time after your claim is verified.

The money you receive from your critical illness insurance can be used however you want, covering anything medical bills to monthly rent.

Our plans have you covered for the long term, paying you a lump sum of $1,000 to $50,000 when you’re first diagnosed with a critical illness. If you ever receive a second diagnosis, we’ll still be there for you, offering a lump-sum payout of $500 to $25,000.1

Our critical illness plans include a wellness benefit that can be paid after completing certain types of preventive care, such as wellness visits, mammograms, and colonoscopies. Some policies also offer a hospital admission benefit should you end up in the hospital for certain illnesses or injuries.1