Guardian has paid its first critical illness claim under its cover upgrade promise.
The payout was for Parkinson’s cover which was taken out in July 2019.
At the time the policy was taken out, Guardian’s Parkinson’s disease definition was “a definite diagnosis by a UK Consultant neurologist of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. There must be permanent clinical impairment of motor function with associated tremor and rigidity of movement”.
However, Guardian upgraded its definition for Parkinson’s in October 2019 and wrote to all existing customers to let them know that their definition had been upgraded free of charge.
The definition for customers today is “a definite diagnosis by a UK consultant neurologist. There must be permanent clinical impairment of motor function. This impairment should include either an associated tremor or muscle rigidity”.
The customer had received a definite diagnosis by a UK Consultant of Parkinson’s and had an associated tremor but did not experience muscle rigidity, the insurer said.
The definition would not have been met in the contract the customer bought in July 2019.
However, Guardian said under its cover upgrade it was able to assess and pay the claim against the current critical illness Parkinson’s definition on sale.
The cover upgrade, which Guardian introduced when it launched in 2018, checks a claim against both the critical illness definitions that the customer bought as well as the critical illness definitions for new customers.
It will pay out if the claim is valid under either.
Guardian head of claims Phil Deacon said: “This claim shows why cover upgrade is such an important and valuable feature of Guardian’s critical illness cover and it speaks to exactly what we’re trying to achieve as a business.
“What’s more, through our bespoke HALO claims service and specifically our partnership with Krysalis, we’re able to provide our customer with access to specialist neurological support to help them come to terms with their condition and to manage it.”
Guardian said after listening to the customer’s concerns about their Parkinson’s diagnosis, the claims team provided a referral through HALO to Krysalis for specialist neurological occupational therapy, which comes free as part of their policy.
Krysalis provided a baseline assessment and six therapeutic sessions addressing their specific concerns, which included fear of the condition and how to manage it.
The customer, who works as a financial adviser and preferred not to be named, was given help with fatigue management to prevent symptoms of the condition worsening.
They were also given lifestyle modifications and strategies to manage their condition as well as guidance about how to access NHS services.
The customer said: “The therapy sessions with Krysalis have helped me to process and organise my thoughts about my Parkinson’s diagnosis. When I was first diagnosed, I had a very bleak outlook, but the therapy has helped me see things differently. I now hold a much more positive outlook for the future.”
Deacon added: “This customer’s experience demonstrates exactly why we take a bespoke approach to claims support. The challenges of a Parkinson’s diagnosis are complicated and unique to the individual.
“It underlines the importance of our partnership with Krysalis and their expertise in supporting people with neurological conditions. This, combined with the specialisms of our other HALO partners, helps us to provide personal and valuable claims support for our customers.”
