Guardian announces cover upgrade and enhanced range

The new combined cover adds to Guardian's stand-alone life and critical illness products. A claim can be made in the event of the policyholder’s death or diagnosis of a critical or terminal illness, whatever comes first.

Cover enhancements include three new full payout conditions: gastro-intestinal stromal tumour, neuroendocrine tumours, and ulcerative colitis.

Guardian has also made improvements to a number of definitions including cardiomyopathy, intensive care eligibility, low grade prostate cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer (metastatic non-melanoma skin uplifted from additional to full payment).

As part of the changes, Guardian has removed the active surveillance/watchful waiting exclusion for low grade prostate cancer, changed intensive care eligibility change from 10 days to 7 days, and widened the definition of cardiomyopathy.

In addition, the company has improved its children’s critical illness cover. The age range will be extended to all children up to age 23, regardless of full-time education status; the indexation cap that restricted the sum assured to a maximum of £100,000 will be removed; and the blindness definition improved. These enhancements will benefit all existing customers.

Katya MacLean, interim CEO of Guardian, said: “A big part of Guardian’s journey to date has been based on listening. So, we’re really pleased, just over a year since launch, to be introducing a new type of cover requested by our mortgage partners. Being a Guardian policy, our combined cover benefits from the quality we’ve become renowned for – simple definitions, many of which pay out on the word of a UK consultant; cover upgrade; our dual life approach; and the ability to add children’s critical illness cover. But because it pays out just once, we’re able to offer it more competitively than the stand-alone options which have the possibility of multiple payouts.”

Alan Lakey, director of CI Expert, added: “Guardian’s restructuring shows a number of positive changes. However, most newsworthy is the fact that all these improvements will be made available to Guardian’s existing customers, as this is the first time that Guardian’s cover upgrade has ever been applied. Cover upgrade is one of Guardian’s real USPs and I strongly believe it will enhance consumer confidence and help repair the reputation of the industry.”