Life and Critical FAQ’s

Find the most commonly asked questions about our Life and Critical Illness Insurance policy here.

Get in touch if you can’t find the answer to your question.

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Am I eligible for the policy?

All you have to do is fit these two simple criteria; Be aged between 18 and 50 years old, and be a permanent UK resident.

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Why do I need critical illness as well as life insurance?

Up until this point in time, the medical advances have been so successful that a vast amount of critical illnesses no longer cost you your life. In fact, they instead end up having an impact on your lifestyle, both on workability, and emotional circumstance. These can induce high levels of costs so having critical illness insurance protects you against that.

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What are the critical Illnesses specified in this policy?

The critical illnesses that we have outlined include: bacterial meningitis, cancer, coronary artery bypass grafts, heart attack, kidney failure, major organ transplant, multiple sclerosis and strokes. Please see the policy document for full information on each illness.

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Does Life and Critical Illness cover mean that the policy will pay out twice?

Yes, it can do, we have designed it to be flexible, and to suit your needs. When you choose your policy, the life sum assured is the maximum amount you can claim over time. So, if you are critically ill, you can take up to half of this, or if you are not critically ill or you choose to leave it, then you can claim it all at once as a death benefit. So, depending on your situation you can either claim once or twice.

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Are pre-existing medical conditions covered?

Life Moratorium

There is an exclusion for any claim that arises out of any medical condition that existed (including treatment, monitoring, referral, consultations or whilst undergoing tests) in the 3-year period prior to the start date of the policy.

This exclusion will not apply if the insured person remains symptom free and does not need to seek treatment or medical advice for a continuous period of 24-months after the start date of the policy.

Critical Illness Cover Moratorium

An exclusion for a Critical Illness pre-existing medical condition is extended to a period of 10 years prior to the start of your policy, where any medical condition relates to one of the specified Critical Illness Conditions.

This exclusion will not apply if you remain symptom, treatment, medication, consultation free for the balance of the 10-year period after the policy begins.

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Can I cancel my policy if I no longer need it?

Yes, all of our life insurance policies are annually renewable policies so they only last 1 year, and you can cancel at any time of your choosing. We also provide a 30-day-money-back-guarantee after your take out our insurance, in which you can change your mind and not pay a penny!

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What happens if I miss a payment?

If you happen to miss a payment, we will attempt to collect payment on the next monthly payment run, and if payment is still not made then we will cancel your policy. We will notify you in writing when a payment has not been made.

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Why does ESMI not require you to answer medical questions or take a medical exam?

At ESMI, we firmly believe that it is wrong to either; deny a person’s application, or charge them a higher premium, just because of their lifestyle or occupation. We offer the same premium’s to all customers within the same age bracket. The only thing which will affect your premium is whether or not you smoke.

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Can I claim on the critical illness benefit more than once?

No, you can only claim once for critical illness. In the event of Critical Illness, you can claim a payout during the life of the policy. The Critical Illness lump sum will be deducted from the Life sum assured and the remaining sum assured will be paid out to you in the event of your death during the lifetime of the policy.