Make a new terminal illness claim
How does terminal illness insurance work?
Often people take out life assurance to run alongside their mortgage, or to protect their family and loved ones if they were to pass away.
Life insurance is often designed to pay out a one off, tax free lump sum in the event that you die during the term of the policy.
Many life insurance policies also include a terminal illness clause, which means that the life insurance may pay out early if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness that has given you a life expectancy of less than 12 months.
It’s also important to know that some insurance policies don’t allow you to make a claim within the last 12-18 months of the policy term.
How do I make a terminal illness claim on a life insurance policy?
Let Appeal Avenue handle the claim process for you
We can’t even begin to imagine what it feels like to be diagnosed with a terminal illness. Starting a terminal illness claim may be the last thing on your mind. In our experience, thankfully, most insurers are set up to make the insurance claims process as simple and as stress free as possible; often insurers will prioritise these types of claim and you can ask if they would be willing to ‘fast track’ your claim for you. If you still need a helping, friendly hand, this is something Appeal Avenue can help you with.
Appeal Avenue can handle every aspect of the terminal illness claim process for you. We can advocate on your behalf so that you don’t need to waste time completing claims forms or chasing your insurer.
Our experienced and empathetic team have years of experience in supporting people to claim on the terminal illness element of their life insurance policy. They can take the hassle and stress of your insurance claim away, to allow you to focus on the things that matter and the people you love. Rest assured, your terminal illness claim is in safe hands with Appeal Avenue.
Please visit the fees section of our website to understand more about the fee we charge for this claims management service.
Or, make your own terminal illness claim following our guide below
Alternatively you can make your own terminal illness claim by following process below. We are here to help if this process seems overwhelming.
1. Make a terminal illness claim as soon as possible
Most insurers specify that you must make a claim within certain timeframes after you are diagnosed with a terminal illness, so it’s important to contact them and get the ball rolling as soon as possible.
2. Contact your insurance company
To make it easier to make a claim, insurers often allow you to start your claim by email, over the phone, by post or even online.
3. Provide some basic information
When you first contact your insurer, be prepared to provide some basic information about your illness, such as the illness you have been diagnosed with, your prognosis and the date you were diagnosed.
4. Complete a terminal illness claim form
After your initial contact, the insurer will usually send you a terminal illness claim form to complete and return. This form will ask for more information about your diagnosis, such as when you first started experiencing symptoms of your illness, what tests and investigations you’ve had and the names and addresses of your GP and hospital specialists.
5. Wait
This can be the most frustrating part of the process- the time between submitting your terminal illness claim and hearing back from the insurer can take a number of weeks.
In this time, the insurer will be writing out to your doctors and getting more information about your illness and prognosis. They might also be looking into the answers you gave to the health and lifestyle questions you were asked when you initially took out your life assurance policy.
If you are concerned about the time your claim is taking, it’s important to request regular updates from your insurer.
6. Decision made by the insurer
When the insurer has all of the information back from your doctors and they’ve reviewed it against your policy terms and conditions, they will make a decision on whether or not to pay your claim.
If the claim is successful, they will contact you and let you know when to expect your payment
If the insurer declines your terminal illness claim, they should tell you why they have declined it. If your terminal illness claim is declined, make an appointment with us to talk through what your options might be. If we think you have grounds to appeal the insurers decision, we may be able to complain on your behalf- take a look at the fees section of our website for an idea of the costs involved.
Ready to start you terminal illness claim?
Start a new claim or get help with your appeal for declined critical illness insurance today.