Bright Grey Critical Illness
Bright Grey has introduced seven new conditions to its critical illness plans. Five pay the full sum insured on diagnosis. They are:
• Pulmonary artery graft surgery, with surgery to divide the breastbone.
• Encephalitis, resulting in permanent symptoms.
• Intensive care, where continuous mechanical ventilation is required for ten or more consecutive days.
• Multiple system atrophy, diagnosis resulting in permanent symptoms.
• Pneumonectomy—undergoing surgery to remove an entire lung.
• In addition, two new definitions pay 20% of the plan’s sum insured on earlier diagnoses (up to a maximum of £15,000). They are:
• Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). This is the undergoing of a full or partial mastectomy, segmentectomy or lumpectomy operation for early forms of breast cancer.
• Low grade prostate cancer. Tumours classified as having a Gleason score of between two and six inclusive.
In addition, the definition of stroke has been upgraded to ABI+ (i.e. better than the ABI’s standard). Bright Grey now has a total of 43 critical illness definitions, nine of which are ABI+.
The plan itself offers a choice of level, increasing or decreasing lump sum benefits or a level or increasing monthly income. £20,000 children’s cover per child is included free too.
Plus points: Bright Grey describes these changes as ‘a massive leap’; 43 conditions are now covered, two providing a partial benefit for less serious conditions that could worsen (triggering full payment of the sum insured later); The changes are on top of a well-established CI proposition.
Not so plus points: The only significant changes made have been to the conditions covered; Similar changes to conditions covered have now been introduced by fellow Royal London subsidiary Scottish Provident too (is that a plus point or a not so plus point—you decide!).
Website: http://www.brightgrey.com.
Rating (max 10): Innovation: 7.5. Overall: 8. Gold.