Zurich has launched a new proposition, Group Critical Illness, which completes a full suite of group risk products.

The insurer says the new product has been designed to meet customer’s needs in response to the changing health environment, “where group critical illness is a necessity rather than a ‘nice to have’ product”.

Its key features are as follows:

• Maximum benefit of up to £500,000.
• Cover can be provided for a spouse/partner.
• Child benefit providing 25% of the member’s benefit.
• Flexible maximum benefits with the ability to choose between £25k or £50K child benefit and £250k, £375k and £500k for the spouse/partner cover.
• Total Permanent Disability cover can be provided on any of the following definitions: Own Occupation, Suited Occupation or Activities of Daily Living.
• Standard critical illnesses providing cover for 15 defined illnesses and surgeries, including heart attack, cancer, and stroke.
• Additional critical illnesses providing cover for an extra 27 illnesses and surgeries.
• Automatically includes child critical illnesses providing cover for 11 specific child illnesses and surgeries, including child intensive care cover.
• Cancer Drug Fund cover can be provided up to a total of £100,000 worth of drugs.
• Pre-claim support team to answer any questions before making a claim.
• Access to a wide range of additional support and services including EAP and Virtual GP and Second Medical Opinion services.

Nick Homer, Zurich’s head of market management, said: “Launching Group Critical Illness cover establishes Zurich as a Group Risk provider which can provide the full suite of products. It changes the conversations we can have with advisers and employers and means that we have an enhanced response to emerging health and environmental issues.

“This has been a long-term strategic aim, so we have been extremely diligent in developing this proposition. We’ve designed it to be flexible to give employers the opportunity to match or enhance their existing benefit design, whilst also remaining aware of the current cost challenges facing businesses.

“Employers can include additional conditions such as spouse/partner cover, increasing the maximum child benefit and cancer drug fund cover as extra features, to allow employees to tailor their benefits to meet their personal needs.”