A health insurance plan that covers critical illness means you can insure yourself against the risk of serious illness in much the same way as you insure your car and your house. It will give you the same security of knowing that a guaranteed cash amount will be paid if the unexpected happens and you are diagnosed with a critical illness.

The basic cover provides financial protection if the assured is diagnosed as suffering from a (defined) critical illness.

This includes cancer, stroke, first heart attack, kidney failure, loss of hearing, loss of speech, benign brain tumor, etc. Various schemes designed to provide compensation to the assured and his family are available.