Critical illness now includes tumors, loss of speech and cancer like leukemia

Extending the scope of critical illness, IRDAI has now revised the definition of critical illness in which it has identified over 13 new diseases under critical illness cover.

With this, critical illness includes cancer of specified severity like leukemia, lymphoma and sarcoma, multiple sclerosis with persisting symptoms like impairment of senses and loss of speech. 

So far, critical illness covers 32 diseases including cancer, heart attack, paralysis, stroke and so on.

Critical illness gives a lumpsum benefit to policyholder if they contract any of the diseases mentioned under the critical illness policy during the policy tenure.

Currently, all three insurers – life, general and health offer critical illness cover to people.

Here is the list of diseases which have been added to the critical illness covers:

• Malignant tumor like leukemia, lymphoma and sarcoma
• All tumors which are described as carcinoma
• Non-melanoma skin carcinoma
• Malignant melanoma
• Prostate tumor
• Thyroid cancer
• Lymphocytic leukaemia
• Non-invasive papillary cancer
• Gastro instestinal stromal tumor
• Multiple sclerosis
• Impairment of motor or sensory function
• Neurological damage
• Loss of speech

All these modifications have come into effect immediately.