23 September 2014

  • Legal & General has launched a new online interactive body tool, 'AnatoME' to help demistify critical illness and improve customer engagement and understanding.

As part of its on-going campaign to help make financial security easier to achieve, Legal & General has today announced a number of changes to enhance the cover for their top four most claimed critical illnesses - cancer, heart attack, stroke and multiple sclerosis. They've also updated their definitions for blindness, deafness and carcinoma in situ of the breast within their Critical Illness Cover (CIC) plans.

As one of the market leaders, Legal & General want to provide the most comprehensive quality cover, where it matters most. With nearly 90% of all their critical illness claims being for cancer, heart attack, stroke and multiple sclerosis, they hope that these changes will mean they can help even more people claim for these life threatening conditions. Legal & General believe they lead the way in offering critical illness cover plans which are some of the best in the industry.

  • New Interactive CIC Body tool 'AnatoME'

To increase understanding and engagement, Legal & General has also developed a new online interactive body tool 'AnatoME', which explains the definitions of a wide range of critical illnesses, in a clear and simple way. This dynamic tool will be an innovative approach for advisers to use, to help explain critical illnesses and make this type of cover easier for customers to understand exactly what they would be covered for.

Russell Whitworth, Underwriting and Claims Director at Legal & General Assurance Society said;

"Choosing the right critical illness policy can be a real challenge for customers. There are now so many different policies on the market, with differing terms, definitions and levels of cover, that consumers may be confused or put off from taking out cover altogether - even with the help of a broker or adviser. Legal & General's new broader cover and user-friendly interactive body tool 'AnatoME', will help make critical illness cover easier to understand and by enhancing the definitions for the top four reasons people claim, this will help make life better for the greatest number of our
customers."

Notes to editors

The information contained in this press release is intended solely for journalists and should not be relied upon by private investors or any other persons to make financial decisions.

Our critical illness cover definitions for cancer, heart attack, stroke and multiple sclerosis all exceed the ABI's Statement of Best Practice for Critical Illness Cover.

Legal & General has also updated its definitions of blindness, deafness and  carcinoma in situ of the breast to meet leading medical standards. The new classification of both blindness and deafness  now match those used by the Royal National Institute of Blind People and 'Action on Hearing Loss' previously known as Royal National Institute of Deaf People.

The following illnesses mentioned in this press release are in accordance with the ABI's statement of best practice for critical illness as follows:

Blindness - permanent and irreversible

Cancer - excluding less advanced cases

Deafness - permanent and irreversible

Heart Attack - of specified severity

Multiple sclerosis - where there have been symptoms

Stroke - resulting in symptoms lasting at least 24 hours
Carcinoma in situ of the breast - treated by surgery

Not all types of cancer are covered under critical illness plans.

Legal & General Assurance Society Limited
Registered in England and Wales No.166055. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Registered office: One Coleman Street, London EC2R 5AA

For more information please contact:


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