April UK Premier Plus Personal Accident Plan
April UK’s new PA plan (Premier Plan) includes 21 fracture benefits plus anterior cruciate ligament injury and burns and permanent scarring and aims to protect those with active lifestyles. It pays up to £3,000 for a fracture, on a sliding scale based on which type of facture. Three versions are available – Bronze, Silver and Gold.
The Plus version adds usual PA benefits on top. Both plans are underwritten by Sterling Insurance Company.
The plan is available to people living in the UK aged 18 to 64 (and cover can last to age 70). Partners can also be covered, under a Partner plan. Children can be covered too, either under Individual and Children Cover or as part of a Family Cover plan. Children must be under 18 or under 23 if in full-time education.
Three levels of cover are available on the Plus version too – Bronze, Silver and Gold pay up to £100,000 £150,000 or £200,000 respectively. However, that sum is only payable on permanent total disability as a result of travelling as a fare paying passenger (otherwise the maximum PTD benefit is half that).
A schedule sets out what is payable in what situation. For example, a Gold plan would pay an adult £100,000 on losing two limbs, £50,000 on loss of sight in one eye, £100 a day hospitalisation benefit and £50,000 on accidental death. On the same plan a fracture of the femur would see a £3,000 payout, compared to £1,500 for a broken kneecap and £750 for a broken coccyx or metatarsal. A maximum of four fracture payments a year is payable and fractures are subject to an initial 15 day exclusion period. Children’s benefits are lower, at half the adult benefit.
Exclusions include riding on a motorcycle, competing in any race (other than on foot or whilst swimming), flying except as a fare paying passenger.
The plan also includes access to the Best Doctor service and discounts at over 20,000 sites and locations in the UK through the April UK Discount Portal.
Premier Plan costs £5.70, £8.41 and £11.21 a month for Bronze, Silver and Gold plans for an individual. For Premier Plus the cost is £10.32, £15.36 and £20.38 a month respectively.
Comment: PA plans can be useful for those who run a higher accident risk, although if that is because of an exclusion the plan will not pay out. However, for someone who enjoys a game of football, jogs or takes part in other team sports events such plans have been popular.
April UK goes further than most, by including severity based fracture cover and by paying double on PTD (only) if the accident arose while travelling as a far paying passenger. However, if any plan pays out a greater than usual benefit, you should always ask ‘why might I need a higher benefit?’ Sometimes the answer is obvious (recovering from some head injuries for example may take longer, involve more expense or leave residual problems) but in other cases we’re left scratching our heads (not an insurable event…) as to why more cover is needed. Paying if you’re injured on a bus for example, is one such benefit – it enables an insurer to boast of paying say ‘up to £200,000’ but we can no reason see why a higher benefit is needed. That said, such ‘windfall’ benefits can appeal (and if that’s how you are injured, a double payment would always be welcomed), but we put it into the ‘gimmick’ category.
Plus points: Straightforward PA cover; Attractive benefits; Sliding scale fracture benefit; Pays double on PTD if a public transport passenger; Best Doctors and April UK Discount Portal.
Not so plus points: Why would you need a double PTD payout only in a small minority of PTD claims?; Check the exclusions list (for example, see the Canadian case of McLean vs. Canadian Premier Life, 2012 BCSC 163 for an interpretation of what is a common carrier) .
Website: http://www.april-uk.com
Rating (max 10): Innovation: 8. Overall: 7. Silver
Tags: April UK; Other