Legal & General has added new support services to its Group Critical Illness product (GCIC).

The services will be provided in partnership with MEDIGO, a provider of local and international healthcare services.

The three new services will be available to insured employees and their families at no additional cost and will include access to second medical opinions, nurse support services and a medical concierge service.

Last year, the insurer added three new conditions to its GCIC offering and updated eight existing conditions, bringing the number of core conditions covered as standard to 15, with the overall number of conditions that can be covered to 41.

The latest added support services are:

• Second medical opinion – insured employees and their immediate family members will be able to get their diagnosis and/or treatment for almost any condition reviewed by an expert, thereby avoiding unnecessary treatments and improving outcomes
• Nurse support service – claimants can get access to telephone and messaging support from a fully-qualified, experienced nurse and obtain ongoing, personalised care throughout their treatment
• Medical concierge – a facility for the insured who wish to use private healthcare can get the help of a professional MEDIGO case manager to assist and coordinate their treatment plan both in the UK and abroad. With a wide range of specialisms including but not limited to Oncology, Cardiology, Nephrology, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics, Gynaecology.

Colin Fitzgerald, distribution director for Legal & General Group Protection, said: “We recognise that being diagnosed with a critical illness is traumatic and brings with it many practical and emotional support needs for employees and their families. The enhancements we are introducing are designed to complement the financial support at the core of our insurance product with practical and emotional support services

“When serious illness strikes, getting a second medical opinion and having access to practical and emotional assistance from a fully-trained nurse can make a big difference. Through our new partnership with MEDIGO, we’re pleased to be able to offer these services to employees we’re covering and their families at a time when they may feel most vulnerable. We believe MEDIGO’S expertise and industry experience complement Legal & General’s wider group proposition to provide outcome-focused support services. It’s great news for intermediaries, as not only is it a great reason to reach out to prospects but also as it will be available to existing clients, to connect with them too.”

Ugur Samut, CEO, MEDIGO, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Legal & General to provide employees with the medical assistance they may need if they are diagnosed with a critical illness. A critical illness can affect anyone, no matter what their age, gender or background, so the benefits of having access to extra support in the moments that really matter cannot be overstated. Legal & General already have a market leading reputation in their Group Income Protection rehabilitation services and we’re confident these enhancements will only add strength to their Group Critical lllness Cover offering and position in the market.”