Smokers vs non smokers

Statistics may have demonstrated the ratio of incidence rates of smokers to non smokers. Thus around 150 percent for males and about 137 percent for females. But this ratio may depend upon the age. For example, people having the age of 30 may be exposed to 25 percent of risk. In contrast, people over 60 years of age may be exposed to 70 percent of risk of contracting a critical illness due to smoking. Reports for the years 1991 to 1995 showed that the ratio for men may have been around 135 percent while for women it may have been approximately 120 percent. This may perhaps announce that these ratios may be on their way to continue decreasing.

The causes of critical illness

Men account for around 42 percent of benefits paid due to a critical illness like cancer followed by about 30 percent for heart attacks. Alternatively, women may receive the maximum share of benefits due to cancer (around 75 percent). Both men and women may have suffered from the same rates for critical illness conditions like stroke and TPD. Figures recorded for TPD could have been around 6 percent while stroke may have been approximately 7 to 8 percent.

Standalone experience

Standalone critical illness policies may have been least sold in the UK. As a matter of fact there may have been more policies in the selection phase than the acceleration plans. With standalone critical illness covers, the exposure may be lower as compared to the acceleration plans. Thus statistical analysis may have been less reliable as shown by these figures. For acceleration policies, around 5,074 critical illness claims may have been received over an exposure of 3,281,875. On the other hand, about 462 critical illness claims may have been reviewed over an exposure of approximately 359,108.

Selection

In the UK, only a few critical illness policies may have included a waiting period. But a selection effect may have been noticed during the initial policy years. For example, the critical illness claims rate may have been around 59 percent during the first policy year as compared to a policy in force for three years. Nothing may have been determined about the selection concerning critical illness covers due to a lack of experience with policies not exceeding two years.

Speaking about factors that affect critical illness in the UK may come to mind one popular form of critical illness, heart attack. Around 1 out of every 5 women followed by 1 out of every 3 men may suffer from heart attack before reaching the age of 65. Let's have a brief look at it.

A critical illness such as heart attack may be one of the most common causes for most claims in the UK. Recent studies may demonstrate that the rate of heart attack suffering patients may have decreased. The reason may be due to better diet, daily exercise and regular health check ups. By doing this people may either not contract this critical illness or the disease may be discovered at a much earlier stage. Let's see some figures related to heart attack recorded from the year 1980 to 1992. According to Coronary Heart Disease Statistics (British Heart Foundation 1997), in the year 1982 around 50 out of 10,000 men of all ages may have contracted heart attack. Based upon a population of 10,000, about 10 men aged between 15-44, around 110 aged between 45-64 , approximately 200 aged between 65-74 and nearly 225 aged 75 or more may have all suffered from the same critical illness.

Having seen all these factors, a logical thinking could imply that it could very important for one to have a critical illness cover.