MILITARY DIRECT

CASE STUDY- CLAIMING FOR CRITICAL ILLNESS

Sarah is a 35-year-old, with a healthy lifestyle and a passion for keep fit. Following a routine dental appointment, Sarah’s hygienist discovered a lump near her throat, which was later diagnosed as a cancerous lymph node. As a Military Direct client, Sarah describes the devastation of being diagnosed with cancer and how her claim was processed swiftly and simply with our help…

 

How did you discover you had cancer?

“It was during a regular routine dental appointment that my hygienist discovered a small lump on my neck. After finding it, she seemed very worried and recommended I had it examined immediately, so I made an appointment with my GP. After a short examination, I was referred to the hospital for urgent attention and a series of tests.”

“Before I knew it, I was at the ear nose and throat department at my local hospital having a biopsy and ultra sound procedures carried out on my neck. My life had been so different just one week ago- it seemed to change in a flash. It was a week after the lump was found that the consultant confirmed that the lump was actually a cancerous lymph node.”

“As someone that has never smoked, rarely drank and visited the gym five days per week -for 25 years- it was a big shock to discover I had cancer. Before this, my health had been perfect, in fact I can’t remember when I was last at the doctors! I can’t begin to describe the shock and horror of finding out I had cancer- it just didn’t feel fair. It turned my world upside-down.”

What cover did you have?

“When Military Direct were first recommended to me, I called them for their advice in terms of which policy I should choose. Other insurance advisers had previously been very pushy, and I felt pressured into committing- but Sean- the adviser I dealt with at Military Direct- took his time and gave me several quotes and options to consider, explaining them all very clearly.”
“Luckily, I ended up taking out a Policy with Legal & General which provided life insurance and separate critical illness cover, which began in February 2016 -although, you never actually think you are going to need to claim.”

How did Military Direct assist you with your claim?

“Three weeks after my diagnosis I had extensive surgery on my neck, and three weeks after that I contacted Sean again, to inform him of what had happened. I must say - he was unbelievable. He immediately took over, taking on all duties to progress the claim as soon as possible.”
“He even gave me his personal mobile phone number and explained that I could contact him directly whenever needed. I remember one Sunday evening, asking him an important question related to my claim in a text, and he responded at 9.45pm! Nothing was too much trouble- he even provided regular updates in calls and texts the minute he was aware of any progress.”

Did you come across any barriers whilst progressing the claim?

“When reviewing the claim, the insurance company needed to communicate with my GP and Consultant, which is known to be a long and arduous process and can hold up the claim for long periods. We faced some difficulty in getting the consultant to respond, however Sean was able to bypass their approval by speaking directly to Legal and General. Sean provided them with copies of my hospital discharge records. After this was done directly, Legal and General made one swift call to the consultant who verified the records- and the problem was solved.”

How did you find Legal and General’s service throughout the claim process?

“Legal and General were absolutely brilliant. Their staff were so professional – but what was most remarkable was the sympathy with which they handled my claim. I later learnt that all their claims handling staff are Samaritan’s trained- which I personally think made a huge difference in my experience of dealing with them.”
“You would imagine that the company would be slow in progressing the claim or reluctant to pay- but Legal and General almost wanted to make payment as soon as they possibly could. They did everything they could to speed the claim up and updated me with weekly texts.”

How long did it take to settle the claim and process payment?

“Within a few days of receiving confirmation that the discharge papers were valid and correct, the claim was settled in full. I was even refunded the premiums I had paid from the time of the claim to the settlement. The settlement has helped me so much- -it was enough money to pay off my new (and large!) mortgage and replace my clapped-out old car. Providing everything goes well, I may even have a holiday over Christmas too.”

How are you doing now?

“There is still some way to go and I’m going to need lifetime monitoring- but I’ve learnt that cancer can be remarkably treatable and I hope to make a full and complete recovery in time. I’m still off of work and anticipate being unable to go back for few more months, but I’m using this period to rest, spend time with people who are really important to me and just take stock of everything.”

“I would urge anybody who thinks that serious illness won’t strike them to think again. I’ve spent a significant time in hospital over the last couple of months and it’s full of children and young people suffering devastating illnesses such as cancer, it’s absolutely heart-breaking and -for me anyway- a massive wake up call, to enjoy my life, not stress over the small stuff and to just crack on with everything. Thanks to Military Direct’s advice and professionalism -and Legal & General’s handling of the claim- I’m able to do this without any financial worries. I can’t begin to explain how important that is.”

For the purposes of confidentiality, this client’s identity is protected- however, this is a genuine case study from an existing Military Direct client.

For more information on how we can help you with critical illness and life cover, call 0800 731 1628

 

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