How Much Critical Illness Cover Do I Need

How much coverage should I get for critical illness?

1. How much is enough? – The amount you need is dependent on your monthly living expenses. As a rule of thumb, LIA recommends getting enough coverage for the duration of the assumed recovery period of 5 years 3, as this is roughly the amount of time the average person would need to recuperate from a critical illness.

Do I really need critical illness cover?

What is critical illness insurance and how does it work? – Critical illness insurance offers a policy that can protect you financially if you become critically ill. Policies can vary between the illnesses and disabilities that warrant a payout, but if eligible you will receive a tax-free lump sum that can be used however you deem necessary.

Should you add critical illness cover to life insurance?

The difference between Life Insurance and Critical Illness Cover – The essential difference between life insurance and critical illness cover is that the former provides financial protection in the event of your death during the length of your policy, while the latter can help minimise the financial impact on you and your family if you become critically ill.

You might take out a life insurance policy and add critical illness cover for an extra cost, though with Legal & General you cannot choose to add critical illness cover at a later date. Here are some other differences between life insurance and critical illness cover: Control of funds – Life Insurance usually pays out to your loved ones, giving them control of how to use the money when a valid claim is made.

With Critical Illness Cover, you would receive the cash sum and can decide how best to use it. Children’s Critical Illness Cover – this is included automatically with our Critical Illness Cover and offers some financial protection if your children become critically ill, which is not offered as part of our standard Life Insurance policy.

What is a sensible amount of critical illness cover?

How to work out: how much critical illness cover you need – How much critical illness cover you need depends on your circumstances and the potential impact of a serious diagnosis on your finances. A common way of choosing how much critical illness cover to buy is: calculate your household’s monthly expenses and what the shortfall would be if you were unable to work, then multiply that by the amount of time you’d want to be supported for if you were critically ill (e.g.

a number of months or years). Another way is simply to cover your income (assuming it’d be temporarily lost if you became ill) – so again: multiply your income by an amount of time. Either of these methods would give you the lump sum amount you want to cover. Obviously there are some unknowns when trying to work this out – like what the diagnosis could be and what costs it could bring with it – but there are also lots of knowns which can help you make a calculated decision.

These include:

Your monthly outgoings now, including essentials like rent/mortgage, bills, and foodYour monthly outgoings in the future, as far as you can estimate – e.g. do you plan to pay university fees for your children? Or do you have debts that will be paid off soon?How much you want to cover the potential costs associated with treatment and recovery, in case you became critically illHow much you want to cover the cost of potential home alterations needed after being diagnosed with a critical conditionHow much you have in savings or other assets that you could use to offset your need for critical illness cover

With any kind of insurance, it’s also worth bearing in mind that your needs might change over time – they could go up, down, or stay the same. What you’d need to cover in terms of monthly expenses if you claimed in 5 years’ time, for example, might be different to what you’d need if you claimed in 20 years’ time.

What is the survival period for critical illness?

In a Nutshell – The survival period is an important aspect of a critical illness insurance policy. You will not be eligible to obtain the lump sum payment under your policy unless you survive this period. Hence, you must check the survival period of a critical illness plan at the time of buying and prefer to opt for a plan with a shorter survival period.

What are the disadvantages of critical illness cover?

Most Viewed 2 Minutes read Feb 19 2020 33707 Views Life is getting more and more sedentary, reflected clearly from the figures that show a continuous rise in the number of critical illnesses surfacing in present times. We all know that getting them treated costs a fortune. Hence, a critical illness plan for yourself and/or your family members is imperative, especially with the medical expenses skyrocketing.

Life is unpredictable, and there may be instances when your family needs more financial support than what you have managed to save up. A critical illness cover makes getting through such difficult times trouble-free, at least financially. Health insurance surely acts as a reliable financial aid when you need it the most.

Before contemplating purchasing it, let us skim through the pros and cons of a typical critical illness health insurance plan, What is a critical illness insurance policy? Critical illness health insurance policies are synonymous with health insurance policies.

• While a health insurance policy covers general medical requirements with specific exclusions, a critical illness insurance policy covers only a set list of critical illnesses and surgical procedures.
• Before getting into the pros and cons of a critical illness policy, you must know of some unique pointers associated with it.

Some of the pointers are listed below: 1. List of critical illnesses covered : The set list for critical diseases that are covered under the policy.2. Procedures for filing claim : How to file for a claim and the claim payout options.E.g., there can be a lump sum payout or a staggered payout option or both under a critical illness cover.3.

Critical illness covers can help you in paying off costly medical expenses for a particular set of diseases. If any illness gets diagnosed and meets policy requirements, you receive a lump sum or staggered payout to meet the medical condition. As a critical illness policy covers specific critical illnesses, it offers a more significant cover at a price lower than other comprehensive medical insurance plans.

Critical illness payouts are exempt from taxes under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act,

A critical insurance policy covers you even when you avail of the treatment in a foreign country. This means that the policy can assist you also if you need to go abroad for further medical treatment.

The Cons:

The biggest disadvantage of a critical illness plan is that the payout is applicable only when a critical illness is diagnosed. This means that you will be covered only if a doctor confirms that your illness concurs with the policy’s definition of ‘critical’. In all other respects, no payment is made.

The second disadvantage is that critical illnesses are defined limitedly by insurers. That is why there is no guarantee that you will receive the sum insured even if you are diagnosed with a critical illness listed in the policy.

Buying Critical Illness Insurance? Only after carefully weighing the pros and cons should you select a critical illness insurance plan for yourself or your family member. Read the terms and conditions of the critical illness plan document carefully before signing it.

1. Ensure that you read the exceptions and exclusions to get the right cover.
2. Also, go for a plan that fulfills the maximum requirements with minimum exclusions.
3. ManipalCigna offers the Lifestyle Protection Critical Care plan to cover you against around 30 critical illnesses.
4. While the basic plan offers protection against 15 critical illnesses, the enhanced ManipalCigna Lifestyle Protection Critical Care plan offers coverage for close to 30 different critical illnesses.

You receive the entire payment of your sum insured on first diagnosis of any of the listed illnesses.

Why is critical illness cover so expensive?

How much does critical illness cover cost? – Critical illness insurance is more expensive than life insurance because you are more likely to claim on it during your working life. According to the insurer Royal London, the risk of becoming seriously ill is much greater than the risk of death.

1. A 40-year-old non-smoking man is 4.1 times more likely to suffer a critical illness than die before the age of 65.
2. Exactly how much you pay for critical illness will depend on a range of factors.
3. These include your age, your lifestyle – for example, whether you smoke and how much you drink – and any pre-existing medical conditions you might have.

Your sum assured and the length of the policy will also have an impact on the price. You could reduce the cost of your cover by living a healthy lifestyle and shopping around for the best price. You could also save by combining it with life insurance. However, this may reduce the total amount you are able to claim.

Think about the level of savings you have and how long they would last Below are some examples of average starting insurance costs for £75,000 level-term life insurance with critical illness cover over 25 years: Age 30: £25.06 a month 40: £46.04 a month 50: £102.39 a month Average monthly rates assume good health, non-smoker, guaranteed rates.

Policy pays out on death or critical illness. Source: LifeSearch. Find out more: Guide to joint policy life insurance

Is life insurance better than critical illness?

What’s the difference between life insurance and critical illness insurance? – At a very basic level, both products essentially do the same thing, they provide a tax-free lump sum amount of money to protect you and your loved ones should the worst happen.

1. The key difference between life insurance and critical illness insurance, however, is the stage at which a payout is made.
2. A life insurance policy pays the benefit when you die, whereas a critical illness insurance policy will pay the benefit when you fall ill, providing that you have fallen ill with one of the critical conditions covered by the policy, which as standard will include cancer, heart attack and stroke.

For both products, you will need to choose how long you’d like to be protected for and how much cover you want.

Does critical illness insurance cover death?

Here is what you should know about critical illness cover A offers coverage that helps policyholders handle expenses related to life-threatening critical illnesses and lifestyle diseases such as kidney failure, stroke, liver disorders, and paralysis, etc.

• The provides the policyholder with a lump sum payment to cover expenses for the critical illness.
• It covers expenses like consultation fees, and the cost of medicines and treatment.
• Policyholders can also use the lump sum amount as financial support for their families,” said Rakesh Goyal, director, Probus Insurance Broker.

How does the plan work? With a typical health policy, the insured person needs to opt for cashless treatment or submit bills to get reimbursement for claims up to the extent of expenses incurred. However, in the critical illness policy, the insurers pay a lump sum amount equal to the sum insured, even if the costs incurred are lower.

Policyholders can file a claim once they are diagnosed with a critical illness. The policy refers to a survival period ranging from 14-30 days after the policyholder is diagnosed with such an illness. During this survival period, one needs to submit all necessary documents to the insurer, who after a proper investigation, pays the lump sum amount.

A critical illness policy doesn’t provide coverage for deaths. Since there are no such benefits, the insurer will not pay any claim amount if you die due to a critical illness. However, Naval Goel, founder and CEO of policyX.com, said that if you buy critical illness cover along with a life insurance policy, the sum assured under critical illness cover gets added as an extra coverage to the base sum assured of the life insurance,

If diagnosed with any critical illness, the insured receives a sum equivalent to critical illness cover after the survival period. Further, on the death of the insured, the nominee gets the sum assured equivalent to the life insurance cover. “You must also know that the insurer doesn’t cover the hospitalization costs in case of a life insurance with critical illness cover,” said Goel.

Benefits: The primary use of a critical illness policy is the replacement of income. The insurer pays a lump sum amount that helps in treatment as well as meets the daily expenses of the sufferer. Besides, the premiums are usually on the lower side and provide tax benefits.

Exclusions: The policy will not pay you any money during the survival period. Further, the policy won’t cover any treatment that is not medically necessary or not performed by a medical practitioner. Goel said, “The policy doesn’t cover diseases due to lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking, drugs and substance abuse.

Other exclusions are HIV, pregnancy or childbirth issues, miscarriage or congenital disease death within 30 days of diagnosis.” Who should buy it? Experts say the critical illness policy is beneficial for those with a family medical history. Also, primary earners can consider buying the policy if they want financial support for their family.

Is it good to add critical illness in term insurance?

Diseases covered under a term plan with critical illness benefit – ICICI Pru iProtect Smart term plan with critical illness benefit offers financial protection against the following ailments:

Cancer of specified severity Angioplasty Heart Valve Surgery Surgery to aorta Heart and Artery Benefit Myocardial Infarction Primary (Idiopathic) Pulmonary hypertension Open Chest CABG Cardiomyopathy End stage Lung Failure (Chronic Lung Disease) End stage Liver Failure (Chronic Liver disease) Major Organ Benefit Kidney Failure Requiring Regular Dialysis Blindness Apallic Syndrome Benign Brain Tumour Loss of Speech Others Brain Surgery Coma of specified Severity Major Head Trauma Major Organ/ Bone Marrow Transplant Medullary Cystic Disease Permanent Paralysis of Limbs Alzheimer’s Disease Stroke resulting in permanent symptoms Brain and Nervous System Benefit Aplastic Anaemia Multiple Sclerosis with Persisting Symptoms Muscular Dystrophy Motor Neurone Disease with Permanent Symptoms Poliomyelitis Loss of Independent Existence Parkinson’s Disease Loss of Limbs Deafness Systematic lupus Eryth with Renal Involvement Third degree Burns (Major Burns)

Is critical illness cover better than income protection?

Critical illness vs Income protection: Which is best? – It is important to understand the differences between each type of insurance. Critical illness cover pays out a lump sum if you are diagnosed with an illness that is set out in full terms and policy conditions, whereas income protection cover will pay out a guaranteed income in the event that you are unable to work and will continue to do so until you either die, retire or are fit to return to work.

You are more likely to claim income protection insurance if you fall ill, however, as it only pays a monthly income during the period that you are unable to work, it is likely to pay out a lower amount than if you were to successfully claim on a critical illness policy. Critical illness provides an immediate cash boost and, as the total benefit is paid in full upon a successful claim (so long as you meet the policy definition) there is nothing stopping you from returning to work and being significantly better off, compared to having taken out an income protection policy (as the income protection policy would have only paid out for the period that you were unable to work).

You just have to bear in mind that the critical illness cover won’t pay a claim for any illness that is not listed under the cover terms and conditions which vary between policies. Critical illness and income protection premiums are hard to compare side by side, due to the fact that they provide a very different type of cover, however, based on our comparison above (which is a fair representation of the sort of options a 35-year-old would consider) critical illness cover is a little more expensive.

• The answer ultimately is that critical illness and income protection insurance are equally important as they provide different types of financial protection for you and your family.
• In an ideal world, you should probably have both, however as a compromise, you may want to consider having a little of each.

We give an example of how this may work below.

Can I have multiple critical illness policies?

Can I have two critical illness policies? – Yes, it is possible to buy multiple critical illness policies and each policy should pay out in the event of a claim if you are diagnosed with one of the illnesses covered by the critical illness insurance terms and conditions.

• Insurance companies will check that there is insurable interest for the amount of critical illness cover you have overall, across all your critical illness policies to determine that this is financially justified.
• Usually, you can buy critical illness cover up to around £500,000 before the insurance company will ask you for financial evidence which could include a mortgage statement, a P60 statement of earnings or other details that would show them that a serious illness would result in a level of financial loss that is in line with the amount of cover applied for.

Each critical illness insurance provider covers a slightly different list of illnesses so it could be that not all of your policies will cover your diagnosis. However, all critical illness insurance policies cover a core list of illnesses which have to meet a standard set by the Association of British Insurers so the main causes for claims such as cancer, heart attack and stroke will usually result in a paid claim.

Is heart failure considered a critical illness?

How Critical Illness Insurance Works – Critical Illness Insurance provides benefits when a covered person is diagnosed with an eligible condition like heart attack, stroke, major organ transplant, end stage renal failure or coronary artery bypass surgery.

What are the top 3 critical illness?

Critical Illness Benefit Receive cash benefit when you get diagnosed with any of the BIG 3 critical illnesses: cancer, heart attack, or stroke.

What are the odds of getting a critical illness?

What You Should Consider When Applying for Critical Illness Insurance – Recent studies show that an average 25-year-old male non-smoker has a 24 percent chance of having a critical illness ( cancer, heart attack or stroke) prior to turning age 65. In other words an average 25 year old male is 3 times more likely to suffer from a critical illness than prematurely dying before the age of 65.

Thankfully due to advancements in medical technology, any individual suffering from a critical illness has a much greater chance at recovering than was the case in generations past. When applying for critical illness insurance there are a few factors to consider and take note of: Unfortunately a life insurance company is unlikely to pay out a claim if you’ve been diagnosed before applying, however this does not necessarily preclude you from receiving critical illness insurance.

It is likely in this scenario the life insurance company would issue a policy if approved with an exclusion, where the policy would not cover the specific critical illness you have been diagnosed with. This means that if you were to be diagnosed with another covered critical illness, they would still pay out for that covered illness.

Statistics show that 91% of critical illness claims are one of a heart attack, stroke or cancer. Several life insurance companies offer both a “basic” and comprehensive critical illness plan. The basic plan typically only includes the 3 major illnesses and could save you a few extra dollars of premium.

Similar to life insurance coverage, critical illness insurance has terms of 10, 20 years along with ages 65, 75 and 100. The general rule of thumb is the shorter the term (ie. period where the cost is fixed) the more cost effective the coverage. The advice here is to ensure you have the right amount of coverage and extend for a term you are most comfortable with.

Critical illness insurance in Canada has a very unique feature from multiple insurance carriers which allows a return of premium or ROP. ROP allows the owner of the policy to cancel after a specific number of years and receive back 100% of the premiums paid. This can be very enticing as it guarantees coverage for a number of years and allows all money returned if the policy is deemed no longer required or a critical illness claim has been paid.

ROP allows 100% of premium refunded typically after 15 or 20 years or to age 65 or 75. The longer the waiting period is, the more cost effective the ROP enhancement. For example a 35 year old may decide he or she wants coverage to 65 and opts for a return of premium feature after age 65 as opposed to a 55 year old that may opt for return of premium after only 15 years.

• As an added layer of cost protection, insurers will allow the owner to add ROP on death which returns all premiums paid in case of premature death.
• As an added layer of cost certainty, insurers will allow owners to add a disability benefit which effectively means if the owner suffers from a disability and satisfies a 3-6 month waiting period, the insurance company will cover future critical illness insurance premiums.

If you have a family history of a particular critical illness, the insurance company may deem you at a great risk. Applying from carriers who are “more underwriting friendly” to the specific condition or have a simplified underwriting process may help you successfully place the policy you desire.

Can you recover from critical illness?

Physical recovery can take months rather than weeks, and it may take up to 18 months to feel fully recovered and back to your normal self. Even if you do not fully recover, you can still achieve a lot and live a full life.

What are the long term effects of critical illness?

Long-term outcomes from critical care © 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Since January 2020 Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The COVID-19 resource centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, the company’s public news and information website.

Elsevier hereby grants permission to make all its COVID-19-related research that is available on the COVID-19 resource centre – including this research content – immediately available in PubMed Central and other publicly funded repositories, such as the WHO COVID database with rights for unrestricted research re-use and analyses in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source.

These permissions are granted for free by Elsevier for as long as the COVID-19 resource centre remains active. With the improved survival of critical care patients, a cohort of chronically critically ill patients has emerged. These patients have a higher 5-year morbidity and mortality and greater utilization of healthcare resources.

This well-documented deterioration in physical, cognitive and/or psychological health in critical care survivors is known as post intensive care syndrome (PICS) which has personal and socioeconomic implications not only for the patient, but also for their families, care givers and society. Greater awareness of the impact of critical illness on quality of life has led to the emergence of research focused on overall patient outcomes rather than crude survival.

National guidelines state personal rehabilitation programmes involving a multidisciplinary team should be commenced within 4 days of admission and continued after discharge to the ward. Once discharged home specialist ICU follow-up clinics are key in identifying any long-term complications of critical care admission and should focus on all aspects of the PICS.

COVID-19 has highlighted PICS on a national level with patients experiencing multiple long-term complications of critical illness, some as yet unknown. Keywords: Cognitive morbidity, critical illness, mortality, physical morbidity, psychological morbidity, quality of life, rehabilitation Over 150,000 patients are admitted to critical care each year in the UK, and in the 5 years after admission this group have a higher morbidity and mortality compared with age-matched controls.

The purpose of critical care is to support individuals through their acute illness to allow them to return to their pre-admission lifestyle and functional status. However, leaving critical care is only the start of the recovery process which may take months or years of rehabilitation with some symptoms persisting at 5 years.

With advances in critical care, a group of chronically critically ill patients have emerged who would historically not have survived the acute episode. This group tend to have longer critical care and hospital length of stay (LOS), with serious lasting physical, cognitive and psychological problems and a greater dependence and healthcare utilization following discharge from hospital.

, This well-documented deterioration in physical, cognitive and or psychological health in critical care survivors is known as post intensive care syndrome (PICS). It is thought up to half of all patients in critical care will experience PICS, with some recovering quickly and others having long-term sequelae.

PICS has personal and socioeconomic implications not only for the patient but for their families, care givers and society. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted PICS and the complex rehabilitation needs for people with severe illness and long ICU stays. It has also highlighted gaps in funding and provision of many services essential to this.

Physical complications following an episode of critical illness are often under recognized by healthcare professionals and under reported by patients. After what may be considered a short ICU admission (greater than 4 days), national guidelines for the provision of critical care recommend the patient has access to an intensive care follow-up programme 2–3 months post discharge.

• Critical care follow-up clinics form part of a series of national recommendations to monitor and support patients return to their pre-admission health.
• However, within the financial constraints placed upon the modern day NHS this is not always feasible and the availability of allied health professionals such as clinical psychologists and occupational therapists can be lacking in areas.

Laryngeal pathology is common after prolonged intubation. Inflammation from the endotracheal tube (ETT) can cause vocal cord damage and the formation of scar tissue can lead to vocal changes, stridor and susceptibility to upper airway obstruction. Tracheal stenosis may occur in up to 30% patients who undergo tracheostomy insertion.

This is often related to pressure damage from the tracheostomy tube cuff distal to the stoma. Laser treatment and tracheal stenting at a later date may be required in severe cases. Tracheomalacia occurs following ischaemic injury to the tracheal wall causing damage to the cartilage that provides the structural integrity of the trachea.

Potential risk factors include recurrent infection, prolonged invasive ventilatory support or tracheostomy with their associated mucosal friction and inflammation. Symptoms are often absent but may develop due to tracheal collapse on expiration and can include stridor, persistent cough, sputum retention and exertional dyspnoea.

• Respiratory failure of unknown cause after de-cannulation or extubation should lead to a high index of suspicion of tracheomalacia.
• Long-term respiratory dysfunction has been reported in a significant proportion of patients requiring invasive ventilation during their critical care stay.
• Prolonged exertional dyspnoea and failure to return to pre-admission baseline is seen in a number of patient groups.

This often reflects severity of illness, number of organ failure and the degree of pre-morbid comorbidities. In high-risk patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), respiratory function can be impaired for 2–5 years following hospital discharge with some evidence of prolonged impairment in functional status extending beyond 5 years.

Thoracic computed tomographic imaging of survivors of ARDS commonly shows minor fibrotic changes in non-dependant areas of the lung. This structural change is reflected in pulmonary function tests with abnormal lung volumes and reduced 6 minute walk tests, 70% of which remain abnormal at 1 year. In addition to parenchymal damage, respiratory impairment can be related to diaphragmatic and respiratory muscle weakness associated with ICU-acquired weakness.

Arterial line placement for monitoring and blood sampling is both common and often prolonged during an ICU admission. The most common site of arterial catheter placement is the radial artery. Complications in the short term can include limb ischaemia occurring due to embolic phenomenon from line placement in end arteries, e.g.

1. Commonly the brachial artery, requiring embolectomy.
2. Rarer sequelae include pseudoaneurysms and cosmetic scarring at insertion sites along with numbness, neuropathic pain and local tenderness.
3. These are of particular relevance when occurring in the dominant upper limb of the patient.
4. Central venous catheters can be associated with serious complications such as catheter-related blood stream infection, sepsis and ensuing organ dysfunction, in addition to infections local to the catheter site such as endocarditis.

Repeated central venous catheter placement may predispose to venous stenosis and/or thrombosis. The resultant impaired venous drainage can cause limb oedema and further vessel stenosis leading to potential difficulty with future line placement. These are particularly important if vascular access is required, or the formation of an arteriovenous fistula anticipated, for long-term dialysis.

Weight loss and muscle wasting are common during a period of critical illness despite the provision of early nutritional support. Problems during admission with abnormal functional swallowing, ileus and malabsorption can persist after discharge from ICU and enteral feed or calorie supplementation may be required for a prolonged period of time after hospital discharge.

Patients can also be troubled with anorexia, nausea and altered taste that can make eating unappealing and onerous, affecting the individual’s ability to sustain adequate nutritional intake. The symptoms generally resolve with time but can be quite distressing and have a negative impact on quality of life.

1. Sexual dysfunction is a frequent problem after a critical illness and is under-reported due to the sensitive nature of the issue.
2. This clearly impacts on patients and the intimacy of their relationships to differing degrees but can contribute to ongoing psychological difficulties associated with recovery.

The cause of this can be multifactorial and is often related to medications started during admission, surgery or procedures during treatment and the psychological impact of the acute events. National guidelines stipulate patients should be questioned about return of sexual health during follow-up clinics, and referral to specialist healthcare services as required.

• Patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) are known to have higher in-hospital mortality and morbidity.
• Schiffl et al.
• Reported an overall in-hospital mortality in this group of 47% with mortality rates at 10 years as high as 80%.
• AKI in ICU is also a risk factor for the development of chronic renal impairment at a later date.

In critically ill patients, over 15–20% of total muscle mass can be lost by the end of the first week of the ICU admission, with a greater proportion of muscle lost by those with escalating organ failure. Patients with greater pre-existing muscle reserve will have a better outcome but will never return to age-matched base line or premorbid state.

This is because muscle repaired following critical illness may not be of comparable quality, with higher fat and water content. Even with multimodal therapy to restore or increase muscle bulk, aerobic capacity may still fail to recover to the individual’s baseline status. Despite early proactive physiotherapy, flexion contractures can occur and are common in patients who have a prolonged stay or those with neuromuscular diseases.

This impacts on future rehabilitation potential and ability to return to work. ICU acquired weakness (ICU-AW) is the most common form of physical impairment seen in ICU survivors. It is a group of disorders which encompasses patients with ill-defined weakness and poor mobility along with those with critical illness myopathy (CIM), polyneuropathy (CIP), and combined CIM/CIP.

Clinically, patients demonstrate global limb weakness, more pronounced in the proximal muscle groups, e.g. shoulders and hips and it also affects respiratory muscles which can impede weaning from mechanical ventilation. This is often seen in patients who have had a protracted stay, requiring prolonged sedation and liberal use of neuromuscular blockers, all reflecting increased illness severity.

It continues to be an important contributor to reduced quality of life in patients with severe ARDS who were followed up for 5 years. Muscle weakness and functional impairment were frequently observed at 1 year, and recovery from physical dysfunction was incomplete even 5 years after discharge.

Early mobilization of patients while in ICU is a term used to describe passive and active mobilization within 72 hours of ICU admission, applied to those with most severe respiratory failure. The purpose is to preserve muscle function and limit muscle wastage related to immobility with the intention of reducing the burden related to loss of muscle function.

It also encourages the use of minimal sedation which further contributes to a reduction in delirium and ICU acquired weakness. The principle of early mobilization in critical care is embedded in critical care units across Europe and the USA. Joint contractures can develop after prolonged immobility, despite rehabilitation.

The most commonly affected joints are elbows and ankles with knees and hips also affected. Passive movements as part of daily physiotherapy and the use of splints are aimed at reducing the frequency of severe contractures in long-term patients. One study identified 34% of patients with a stay longer than 14 days had clinically significantly contractures at discharge from ICU.

These also contribute to reduced mobility and slow return to normal function. Skin disease can be a primary reason for admission to ICU or can occur as part of multi-organ failure during admission. Pressure damage can result from prolonged mechanical ventilation, immobility, decreased perfusion to skin and vasopressor usage.

• Necrosis to peripheries and from excessive vasoconstriction can also lead to loss of part or whole digits or limbs.
• Any skin damage during the acute phase is further exacerbated by ongoing reduced mobility during the rehabilitation process and discharge from hospital.
• Poor wound healing and soft tissue infections can be exacerbated by poor nutrition and be accompanied by hair loss and troublesome dry skin for months after discharge from ICU.

Difficulty with memory, concentration, attention and higher functioning are commonly reported following an episode of critical illness. These are necessary for return to independent living, employment and overall quality of life. Studies show cognitive deficits occur in both the young and the elderly and are persistent at 12 months with 34% and 24% patients recording cognitive scores consistent with moderate traumatic brain injury and mild Alzheimer’s disease, respectively.

This may be first encountered by secondary healthcare providers, family members, primary care services or highlighted at ICU follow-up clinics. Although youth does not protect against ICU-acquired cognitive deficits, the elderly are at higher risk. In elderly patients admitted with severe sepsis a fourfold increase in post-ICU moderate to severe cognitive impairment lasting up to 8 years was seen.

This has significant implications when considering the aging demographic of patients admitted to critical care. Studies have suggested increased duration of delirium during the ICU stay is independently associated with both worse global cognition and executive function at 3 months.

For those who recover cognitive function, an ongoing elevated long-term risk of cognitive impairment exists, being greatest in the elderly patients and those with mild cognitive impairment pre-admission. Psychological sequelae after critical illness are common and can manifest as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

These conditions are directly linked to events during a critical care admission, including episodes of delirium (both hypo and hyperactive), poor sleep hygiene, sedative duration and type with benzodiazepine use being associated with increased delirium risk.

Often these symptoms can settle with time but input from clinical psychology may be required. Psychological and emotional dysfunction may be present in both patients and caregivers for up to 5 years after discharge from the ICU, demonstrating a significant impact on quality of life. Patients can also experience delusional memories which can manifest as hallucinations and nightmares after discharge.

Patient diaries involving pictures and written entries by staff and family members/friends are now encouraged to document events during admission. Research has shown that patients and relatives generally find a diary valuable in making sense of their intensive care experiences.

• In addition, studies have shown that receiving an ICU diary reduces the risk of developing depression, anxiety and PTSD for both patients and relatives.
• All patients at risk of morbidity have their rehabilitation goals agreed within 4 days of admission or prior to discharge from critical care, whichever is sooner.

, An individualized, structured rehabilitation programme should be commenced as early as clinically possible by allied healthcare professionals who document short-term and medium-term rehabilitation goals and review progress frequently. This rehabilitation programme should involve both patients and family members from the outset and follow them through their journey of recovery from critical care, to the ward and into the community.

, Information gathered from the multidisciplinary rehabilitation after critical illness (RaCI) team should prepare both the patient and family and other caregivers for the challenges ahead. Recovery can be a protracted and frustrating process and patients frequently feel abandoned and anxious when they are stepped down to ward level care and discharged home.

Studies measuring the efficacy or cost effectiveness of RaCI teams have been unable to determine a beneficial effect on functional exercise capacity and health-related quality of life interventions initiated after ICU discharge. Patients with intensive nurse-led rehabilitation had the same outcomes as the control groups, but overall felt they had received a better service and had a point of contact for problems after discharge.

1. However valuable patients find the service, in the financially austere climate services such as RaCI are vulnerable to funding cuts.
2. The National Post-Intensive Care Rehabilitation Collaborative has recently released a framework for assessing early rehabilitation needs following critical care.
3. This document aims to provide a unified approach to RaCI for COVID-19 patients and ultimately all critical care patients beyond the pandemic.

The use of screening tools and rehabilitation prescriptions can be used to identify individual patients specialist needs for inpatient and community rehabilitation. ICUsteps is a charity founded in 2005 by ex-patients, their families and ICU staff to help patients recover from critical illness.

• The groups provide a support network for patients affected by critical illness and promote recognition of the physical and psychological effects.
• Although this is run entirely by volunteers, it is a valuable tool to help people come to terms with this life-changing event.
• They are also advocates for patient diaries during their stay in ICU as they have seen first-hand the impact they can have on recovery.

Thus far the article has focused on the physical and psychological sequelae of critical illness on the individual. However, the true long-term consequences of critical care are wide reaching affecting the individual, family unit, social and healthcare economics of a country.

There is limited evidence evaluating the long-term socioeconomic impact of critical care on patients and their families. In 2013 Griffiths et al. conducted a prospective UK study to quantify the impact of critical illness among 300 patients who required ventilatory support for greater than 48 hours at 6 and 12 months after critical care discharge.

The group used self-reporting questionnaires to compare pre and post critical care health, economics and quality of life. The authors found over 20% of patients still required help with activities of daily living (ADL) at 12 months, with 26% requiring greater than 50 hours per week.

In 80% of cases care assistance was provided by family members, resulting in major adjustments to care providers working lives.1 In this study cohort, nearly 50% of patients were retired and 40% employed before critical care admission. Among the latter, 30% suffered a negative impact in their employment status (i.e.

early retirement, reduction in hours or unemployment). This persisted at 12 months and was associated with a 33% reduction in family income and an increase in state financial support. In the group of patients requiring care assistance at 12 months, 30–40% had to spend savings, borrow money, re-mortgage or sell their home or look to charity organizations to pay for care provision.

• The COVID-19 pandemic brought critical care into national focus with a sudden and rapid rise in the number of people requiring hospitalization and intensive care.
• The full extent of problems arising from COVID-19 infection remains unclear and are likely to be complex and variable encompassing all organ systems discussed previously.

Survivors of previous Coronavirus outbreaks (SARS and MERS) have demonstrated a reduced health-related quality of life at 6 months and beyond, with key areas being impaired exercise tolerance and psychological problems., In the last 10 years a shift has occurred in critical care philosophy, moving away from the use of the crude binary end point of survival as a measure of the success of critical care.

As patients have survived we have learnt the significant and long lasting impact of critical care and the importance of providing meaningful survival with a quality of life that is acceptable for the individual. Observing and working with patients and their families along their path of recovery there has been an evolution in critical care practice, the development of critical care follow-up clinics, the introduction of national guidance for rehabilitation in critical care and rehabilitation after critical illness teams.

COVID-19 has further highlighted the sequelae of long-term complications and the need for a robust rehabilitation and mental health service to assist in the journey of critically ill patients.

What all is covered under critical illness insurance?

18. Is it worth getting Critical Illness insurance? – Critical Illness Insurance provides you and your family an additional financial security on diagnosis of a critical illness. The policy provides a lump sum amount which can be used for: costs of the care and treatment, recuperation aids, debts pay-off, any lost income due to a decreasing ability to earn and for a change in lifestyle.

What is the difference between critical illness and serious illness cover?

Critical illness cover or Serious Illness Cover? – Critical illness cover pays out for fewer conditions. Once the cover has paid out in full, the policy ends. Serious Illness Cover pays out an amount based on:

• the severity of the condition
• unlike other insurers, it covers a wider number of illnesses
• it can payout earlier than critical illness cover

Let’s take eyesight for example. If you go blind in both eyes, a typical critical illness insurer will pay out 100% of your policy. But if you only went blind in one eye you wouldn’t get a payout. Vitality would pay out on sight loss in one eye, based on the severity. Unique to Vitality, it also means you have money left in your pot to claim for the same condition again or a different condition.

What is standard critical illness cover?

Critical illness cover supports you financially if you’re diagnosed with one of the conditions included in the policy. The tax-free, one-off payment helps pay for your treatment, mortgage, rent or changes to your home, such as wheelchair access, should you need it.

Can I increase my critical illness cover?

Choosing your critical illness cover – We offer different types of critical illness cover: level cover and decreasing cover. The type of cover you want may depend on what you want to protect, and how much you’d like to pay each month. Level cover With level cover, you choose the cover amount and how long you want the cover to run for. The amount of cover and the amount you pay each month stays the same until your policy ends. Level cover could be a good option if you’re looking to help maintain a loved ones’ living standards, and the lump sum can help to cover things like:

• Your salary
• Any additional health and living costs
• Rent payments
• Continue to make mortgage payments
• Children’s school fees or other childcare costs

Protecting your cover from the effects of inflation You can choose to make your cover amount increase in line with inflation. This ensures that the lump sum won’t be worth less in the future because of the rise in the cost of living. With this option, the amount of cover and the amount you pay can both go up each year. Decreasing cover This type of cover might be used to help pay off a repayment mortgage, or other debts or loans, if you’re diagnosed with a critical illness during the policy term.

• It lasts for a specific amount of time, and your monthly premiums are fixed, unless you make a change to your policy
• It usually costs less than level cover, as the value of the loan or mortgage you’re paying off gradually decreases over time, and so does the cover