Aviva critical illness cover pays out nearly 95% of claims

Aviva paid 1534 critical illness claims worth more than £136 million to customers during 2010. The average payment was more than £89,000, an increase of £10,000 compared to 2009. The insurer also paid out £272 million in life insurance to the families of people who died. The proportion of critical illness claims paid is the company’s highest to date and the largest monetary value.

• 94.7% of all critical illness claims paid

• Total payments for critical illness policies were more than £136 million

• 99.6% of life claims paid

• Total life payments were £272 million, compared to £151 million in 2009

• 1534 critical illness claims paid

• Critical illness claims declined for non-disclosure of medical facts at the policy's outset accounted for 1.6% of total claims, compared to 2% in 2009

• Critical illness claims declined for conditions not met fell to 3.7%, down from 6% in 2009

• Cancer remains the most common cause of critical illness claims at 68%, followed by heart attack (9%), stroke (7%) and multiple sclerosis (6%)

• 75 child critical illness claims paid

• Amount paid on child critical illness claims was £770,000