Guardian has launched CI Essentials, a budget critical illness policy designed for clients who recognise the need for protection but face affordability constraints.
The plan is available on a standalone basis or with life cover, and provides full payment for 34 conditions, as well as terminal illness.
A further four conditions qualify for an additional payment, capped at the lower of £30,000 or 30% of the sum insured.
Guardian has also included early-stage ovarian and testicular cancers within the plan, which CIExpert said was notable in a market where policy definitions remain important.
The policy includes waiver of premium as standard, while children’s cover is also provided automatically, paying the lower of £25,000 or 50% of the sum insured.
Enhanced child cover can increase this by up to £100,000, although cover applies only from 30 days after birth until age 18, or age 21 where the child remains in full-time education.
CI Essentials does not include Guardian’s Upgrade Promise, which remains part of its comprehensive proposition. The policy also uses standard terminal illness wording rather than the broader definition available on Guardian’s flagship plan.
Both CI Essentials and Guardian’s comprehensive plan now have a reduced survival period of 10 days, while the maximum entry age has been increased from 64 to 69.
The open-heart surgery definition has also been expanded to include median sternotomy. However, the stroke definition for both Guardian plans now excludes eye strokes.
CIEXPERT VERDICT
CIExpert said: “We have long believed that quality protection should not be reserved for the affluent. Insurance exists because uncertainty is universal, and its value should not depend on an individual’s ability to afford the most expensive cover.
“Guardian’s CI Essentials reflects that principle. It is designed for clients who cannot comfortably afford a fully comprehensive policy but are unwilling to accept one stripped back by excessive compromise.
“The result is a proposition that retains much of what Guardian is known for while recognising the financial pressures facing many households.”
CIExpert said the inclusion of payments linked to NHS surgical waiting lists reflected a broader reality in modern Britain, with delays adding to the financial pressure faced by patients.
The benefit covers nine specified conditions that trigger a payment when the insured person is placed on an NHS surgical waiting list.
CIExpert added: “This benefit stems from practical observation rather than marketing theory, recognising that prolonged uncertainty can carry financial costs.
“In an era where delays are commonplace and certainty is scarce, such provisions feel less like innovation than a necessary response to modern circumstances.”
