Legal and General has amended its group critical illness cover.
The insurer has added five new conditions and increased the maximum free limits on its plans.
It has also upped the benefit limit for spouses and registered civil partners, along with the ceiling for all employees with new voluntary plans.
The new definitions, which take the total covered to 33, are:
• Balloon valvuloplasty - to relieve heart valvular abnormalities;
• Heart surgery - with surgery to divide the breastbone;
• Pulmonary artery surgery - to excise and replace with a graft;
• Respiratory failure - of advanced stage;
• Terminal illness before age 65.
The maximum free limit of £500,000 will mean fewer individuals will need to be underwritten, while a shorter than usual 14-day survival period has also been added.
Limits for spouses and partners are now £150,000, and the employee benefit now tops £250,000.
The amendments will become available immediately on all new policies, and at next review date for existing customers.
Vanessa Sallows, benefits and medical underwriting director for group protection at L&G said: "This market continues to grow in popularity. During the first six months of this year we've seen the amount of new business increase by 50%, and we think it's important that we continue to refresh and update the product to reflect today's requirements."
