National Friendly has added the option to include sickness cover to its recently launched Friendly Shield product.
The option includes both an income and hospital benefit for sickness claims. The benefit levels are the same as paid for accidental injuries.
No medical questions are asked to select the option, just a simple yes or no as to whether sickness cover is desired.
The mutual said it designed the cover following adviser feedback. Its pricing structure is affordable and aimed at individuals who may struggle to afford traditional protection products.
The policy is quick to open and takes less than five minutes. The income benefit is payable after only 14 days from the date of the incident under both the accident and sickness variants.
National Friendly chief executive Graham Singleton said: “By offering this optional benefit with no medical questions or disclosures required, we aim to make vital financial protection accessible to the widest possible audience – particularly those who may not have access to traditional income-protection solutions.”
The Friendly Shield product provides multiple benefits, including an income benefit covering accidents only or including sickness, a hospital cash benefit for overnight stays, fracture cover and both natural and accidental death benefits.
Other benefits include rehabilitation support to help policyholders get back to work sooner.
It provides cover against everyday risks rather than extreme, low-likelihood catastrophe risks.
It is available under all levels of Friendly Shield: Bronze, Silver and Gold. The hospital cash benefit for sickness has a nine-month qualifying period at the start of the policy as opposed to accident-only, which is available immediately.
Any spouse or child on a policy will similarly be able to claim the hospital benefit for sickness following the nine-month waiting period, as well as accidental injury.
Comments