Insurance giant Zurich has joined forces with Further to launch a new investigation and treatment service for a number of illnesses, allowing advisers to meet the changing needs of their clients.
Zurich Accelerate will cover cancer, heart and neurological conditions and is designed to provide customers with more choice and control over their healthcare decisions by giving them the option to combine it with public or private healthcare.
The new service consists of a virtual consultation with a UK consultant, diagnostic tests at diagnostic centre followed by an appointment with a consultant to discuss the results, as well as a second medical opinion for those who are unsure about a diagnosis.
Customers who receive a cancer diagnosis can receive access to a personalised treatment plan based on their specific type and cause of cancer. If the cancer has a hereditary or genetic component, customer’s siblings and children are also eligible for testing and counselling. Those customers with cancer can also access one of many clinical trials taking place overseas, which may offer access to new or alternative treatments, drugs and therapies.
Finally, Global Treatment Plus offers customers the option to be treated at some of the world’s leading hospitals and facilities, potentially giving access to treatments that might not be offered through public healthcare in the UK. Accelerate covers the cost of treatment, travel and accommodation as well as a daily allowance for customers and their travel companions.
Accelerate can be added to any new Zurich Life, Critical illness or Income Protection policy at the point of sale or at any point during the life of the policy and can be cancelled at any time.
Sam Wells, head of proposition innovation at Zurich, said: “From my own personal experience, I have seen the challenges that you face when dealing with a cancer diagnosis and how important it is to be supported through a complex journey that can last years, spanning investigations, diagnosis, and treatment. Each service available with Accelerate has been designed around the experience my family had to provide our customers with fast access, choice, and control, through a complete service rather than a piecemeal solution.”
Customers who access the service will be guided through the entire process by a clinically trained case manager. Policyholder’s children will also be automatically covered from birth up to their 22nd birthday.
