Highlights
- Research reveals heart attacks and cancer as the most common reason for critical illness claims in the UAE
- Heart attacks were the key cause of benefits for men, at 54%
- Cancer was the main cause of cover paid to women, at 80%
- The youngest claimant for critical illness benefits was 29 years – with the average at 49
- UAE residents – particularly younger consumers - overestimate their medical insurance coverage
Dubai: The “2020 Customer Benefits Paid” report by Zurich in the Middle East has revealed striking insights on the top health risks in the UAE. Subsequent feedback gathered in early 2020 from people across various income levels, ages, professions and ethnicity in the UAE revealed worrying trends about the affordability of treating serious illnesses. Here is what the report found:
• 8 in 10 people are concerned about getting adequate access to care if diagnosed with cancer
• There are notable gaps between standard medical cover in most plans and actual costs to treat critical illnesses
• Consumers of generations X and Y are more inclined to take risks and consider their medical insurance to be sufficient – despite evidence of serious illnesses occurring earlier than expected
Taking the pulse of existing medical cover
With COVID-19 adding further anxiety for consumers of all segments and demographics, individuals in the UAE should be aware of common pitfalls to ensure they have adequate cover in times of need. Walter Jopp, CEO of Zurich Middle East explains: “Sixty percent of people are simply not aware of gaps between their current medical cover and the actual cost of treatment for critical illnesses. The Dh150,000 to 250,000 average coverage provided by most health insurance is insufficient to treat most serious illnesses. For example, the real cost of chemotherapy sessions for breast cancer is over Dh384,000.“
An innovative solution – “built for you, by people like you”
Zurich has therefore launched YourCare to address the various concerns and shortcomings in relation to existing medical cover. Co-developed with existing Zurich customers and the wider market, this service is responsive to customer feedback, reflecting what people actually want and need to protect their financial future.
Specifically, YourCare meets growing demand for easy, affordable and adequate protection against serious health risks. Key features include:
• Instant cover – no medical underwriting is needed, and consumers benefit from smooth online purchase and policy access.
• A simple process – it only takes a few minutes to get cover online, with a choice of 3 plans for critical illnesses and either five or 10-year term options for all plan types.
• Affordable cover – Dh1 million cover is available starting from Dh4 per day, including free children’s cancer cover and a lump-sum amount to cover hospital treatment or funeral expenses
“We are delighted to announce the launch of YourCare, a simple, digital and cost-effective critical illness solution” explains Walter Jopp. “This product addresses a gap in the market for customers in the UAE, especially Millennials, who are concerned about the extent of their health insurance and are particularly anxious about how they would get treatment in the event of a serious illness such as cancer,” says Jopp
“We are proud of the innovative approach we have taken: we started with customer insight and the shape of YourCare was directly driven by detailed discussions with our Z-One community,” he added.
