Friends Life : revolutionises the protection market with the launch of Global Treatment

Friends Life has announced the launch of Global Treatment, in association with Best Doctors - an additional option to its Protect+ range. Global Treatment is the first protection option of its kind in the UK and is exclusive to Friends Life.

Global Treatment gives customers access to the leading medical experts and treatments around the world - for themselves and their children. Covering a range of serious illnesses, including all cancers, Global Treatment will pay and arrange for people to get from their front door to a hospital they choose. It offers more choice and access to high-quality treatment in leading international hospitals outside of the UK.

Mark Anders, Director of Sales at Friends Life, said:

"Global Treatment revolutionises the protection insurance industry and is a unique optional benefit in the UK. It provides peace of mind that comes from knowing you are in the best hands. If a customer or their children were diagnosed with a serious illness, Global Treatment can open the doors to more options, giving them access to treatment at world-renowned hospitals by leading medical experts. If a customer is diagnosed with cancer and the best possible treatment is in New York, Zurich or Sydney, for example, Global Treatment will cover the costs. All they have to do is concentrate on getting better."

The key features of the Global Treatment option are:

• Available to customers and their children
• Pays for all overseas treatment at a hospital chosen by the customer
• Arranges and pays for all travel from the customer's front door to a hospital they choose, including cost for an accompanying person
• Arranges and pays for all accommodation costs, including cost for an accompanying person
• Pays £100 a day allowance per night of hospital stay.
• Each insured person has unlimited use of Global Treatment, up to a maximum benefit entitlement of £1 million per insured person, per year. They can be treated multiple times with coverage of up to £2 million per insured person in their lifetime
• On return to the UK, it covers the cost of necessary medication if they are not available on the NHS (up to the value of £50,000)
• Global Treatment covers cancer, neurosurgery, coronary artery by-pass surgery, heart valve replacement or repair, bone marrow and live donor organ transplant
• Costs just £4 per month*

Frank Ahedo, Managing Director at Best Doctors, who are supplying the medical expertise for Global Treatment, said:

"Best Doctors has been providing people in the UK with a Second Medical Opinion service for over 10 years. Global Treatment now builds upon the value of this service, taking it to the next level by providing and paying for treatment and expenses. As well as giving advice to people, we can now get them in front of some of the most skilled doctors at centres of medical excellence around the world. I'm very proud that Best Doctors will be working alongside Friends Life to deliver this fantastic additional benefit."

Global Treatment is available to anyone taking out a Friends Life Protect+ policy (life cover, critical illness cover or income protection). Through those policies, customers can already access Best Doctors 'Second Opinion' service**. The results of this service will allow Friends Life customers to make informed decisions regarding treatment options and should the decision be to travel to a leading international hospital Global Treatment will make that possible.

Mark Anders from Friends Life added:

"All too often you hear heart-breaking stories of families desperately trying to raise thousands of pounds to send a loved one abroad so they can get treatment for a serious illness. In many cases, Global Treatment can be the solution by providing the access and the opportunity to receive the very latest treatment.

"We are the only UK protection insurer to offer this benefit and we're able to do it for just an additional £4 a month, making it a fantastic proposition for customers and their children. Our propositions are designed around the real needs of real people and what they may face whilst coping with a serious illness. Global Treatment is just another example of how we deliver for our customers."

To view the interactive infographic, please click here.

*Global Treatment can only be purchased as an addition to a Friends Life Protect+ policy
**Second Opinion is a discretionary benefit which can be withdrawn by Friends Life at any time

-ENDS-

For more information please contact:

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Notes to Editors

Friends Life provides pensions, investments and insurance for over five million customers. Our key business lines are corporate benefits, protection and retirement income.

Friends Life is the brand name of Friends Life Group Limited.

Our heritage dates back to 1810, with Friends Provident being founded in 1832 to help alleviate the hardship of Quaker families facing misfortune.

Other brands in the Friends Life group include:

• Friends Provident International, which provides life assurance, pensions and investment products to Asia, Middle East, Europe, UK and other selected markets.
• fpb AG, a wholly owned distribution partner in Germany.
• Sesame Bankhall Group, which was formed in 2009, combining an IFA network, support service provider and mortgage club, to create a large distributor of professional support services to financial advisers.

Important

This news service is for information purposes only and does not provide any form of advice, recommendation or financial promotion. Any opinions expressed by third parties are those of the third party concerned and not of Friends Life Group Limited. Friends Life Group Limited does not accept liability for any errors or omissions or for loss incurred because of reliance on information or opinions given.

The content of the news items set out above are accurate only as of the date of issue and Friends Life Group Limited does not undertake any obligation to update them.

Useful links:

www.friendslifegroup.com/media-centre.aspx
www.flickr.com/photos/friendsimages
www.twitter.com/FriendsLifeTalk.

To follow Friends Life twitter page on your mobile, simply text "follow FriendsLifeTalk" to 86444 (UK only)

Friends Life is a business name of certain companies in the Friends Life group including the following

Friends Life and Pensions Limited Company number 475201
Friends Life Limited Company number 4096141
Friends Life FPLMA Limited Company number 00004599

Each of the above companies is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority

Friends Life Marketing Limited Company number 5059179
Friends Life Investment Solutions Limited Company number 6389025
Friends Life Services Limited Company number 3424940

Each of the above companies is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Friends Life Management Services Limited Company number 983330 is an appointed representative of Friends Life Services Limited, Friends Life and Pensions Limited and Friends Life Limited.

Friends Life The Blue Line Limited Company number 3146254 is an appointed representative of Friends Life Marketing Limited.

Suntrust Limited Company number 1460956 is not authorised or regulated by either the Prudential Regulation Authority or the Financial Conduct Authority.

Each company is an incorporated company limited by shares and registered in England and Wales with a registered office at Pixham End, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1QA

Telephone calls may be recorded. Friends Life is a registered trade mark of the Friends Life group www.friendslifegroup.com.