Let’s start with the good news: Canadians are living longer than ever, an average of over 81 years (nearly 3 years longer than our American cousins). Women live longest of all, at 84 years… and counting! Thanks to better knowledge about healthy habits and modern medical technology, we’re living longer and in many cases, our quality of life can be quite high right up until near the end of our lives.

The things that used to kill us only a generation or two ago don’t anymore. Canadians are surviving these critical illnesses, now. Cancer, heart attacks and stroke can all potentially be managed with prompt and continuing medical attention. You can live many years even after experiencing these common ailments. It’s not uncommon anymore to get cancer – and beat it, multiple times, living decades past the day you were diagnosed. It’s amazing to realize how far we’ve come.

Now the bad news: But that proper care that keeps you alive, whether in the form of time of work, prescription drugs, medical equipment, specialist care and other forms of intervention, isn’t free. Sometimes, it’s even very expensive.

Critical Illness Insurance covers what you need, when you need it

Canadians in particular can be forgiven for not realizing what isn’t covered, since we’re fortunate to benefit from universal health care. But that ‘universal’ word is a bit of a misnomer, since it won’t quite cover you for everything you might need. Certainly, if you need to go in for surgery or get life-saving medical drugs, you’re covered. But what about after you get out of the hospital and still need extra help with medical-related expenses? For instance:

• A wheelchair and other specialized medical equipment
• Extensive home renovations to make your place ready for assisted living
• Home care nursing
• The cost of special accommodation
• Extra transportation or parking costs
• Specialty drugs not covered under your regular health plan
• Time off work
• Extra child care – nanny or daycare

The little things add up. For instance, if your doctor tells you that you need to eat a special diet (eg. only organic, whole grain, gluten-free, etc.) the ‘regular’ meal options may not be available to you. Suddenly, your lunch across from the hospital is $25 for a special vegan meal instead of your favorite $5 salty bacon sandwich.

On a bigger level, what about when your doctor recommends weekly physiotherapy visits to ensure a fast recovery – but your regular health care only covers you for six visits a year?

Of course, the big stuff adds up, too. If you live alone and can’t care for yourself while you’re in recovery, how will you pay for the extra care of an at-home nurse to come in at least a few times a week – or even, live-at-home care? This is not uncommon after suffering a stroke or heart attack.

We’ve all heard of the horrendous wait times Canadians have to endure for major procedures like knee or hip replacements, transplants and other kinds of surgeries. Putting off these kinds of operations for 6 months, 8 months or a year can make life miserable – and they also make recovery after the operation that much more challenging. What if you could get the same medical procedure done privately in the USA? Your provincial care card won’t cover you for that. You’d be on your own – facing bills of tens of thousands of dollars or more!

Having immediate cash-on-hand when you need it can help here. In all of these cases, Critical Illness Insurance delivers money to help you get the care you need, when you need it. You’re covered for health-related expenses that definitely would never be covered under a regular provincial plan. It’s about giving you options to preserve and protect yourself the way you need to do it, without worrying that staying healthy will leave you financially ruined. It’s about choice, freedom, independence and digity.

How would your life be impacted if you suffered a critical illness? Just as importantly, how would the people you care about be affected? Critical illness insurance is part of your overall strategy to ensure you, your family and others are protected when you are feeling most vulnerable. Get peace of mind today – call Safe Pacific Financial and learn more about how we can help you get the right Critical Illness Insurance for you.