As serious illness concerns rise, advisers face growing complexity in protection needs
18 May 2026
Serious illness concerns rise, creating growing complexity
New research from Vitality shows that while concern about being diagnosed with a serious illness is high, many people remain uninsured. Even among those with protection in place, there is often uncertainty about how critical illness products are designed to work, particularly after a claim.
The research found that 61% of UK adults are concerned about being diagnosed with cancer, while over half worry about having a stroke (53%) or heart attack (52%). Despite this concern, only one in ten (11%) said they had a policy that could cover them if they were diagnosed with any of these illnesses.
Understanding of critical and serious illness cover is also mixed among existing policyholders. Two in five (42%) said they were unsure whether their policy would end or continue following a successful claim, underlining the importance of clear advice. For advisers, this creates a more complex advice landscape. Concern about serious illness is high, but expectations around how protection should respond over time may not always be explicit at the point cover is arranged.
As health outcomes continue to improve, linked to medical advances, with more people recovering from conditions once considered “life threatening”, customers are increasingly looking for protection that can be structured to reflect their longer‑term needs, rather than responding to a single event. This presents an opportunity for early engagement with clients, helping them consider more clearly about how they want their cover to work for them as time progresses.
Nearly three quarters of respondents (72%) said they would value a policy that continues after a claim to provide cover for future conditions; however, awareness remains limited, with only 28% aware that some policies can be structured in this way.
Justin Taurog, CEO of VitalityLife UK, said: “These findings underline the importance of looking beyond simply securing cover at outset. As people live longer and increasingly recover from serious conditions, serious illness is less likely to be a one‑off event and more something individuals manage over time.
“That shift in health outcomes was a key driver behind our decision to introduce Serious Illness Cover (SIC) and why we regularly review and update what it covers, allowing for multiple claims, reflecting how the market and client needs are evolving. In practice, we are already seeing this play out, with one in ten Vitality SIC claims paid to someone who has previously made a claim.*
“For advisers, this reinforces the opportunity to help clients understand not only cover at the point of diagnosis, but how protection is designed to respond after a claim and remain aligned with longer‑term health and financial needs.”
Notes to editors
Consumer research carried out by Opinium on behalf of Vitality, with 2,000 UK adults, weighted to be nationally representative, between 5 and 9 March 2026.
* VitalityLife Claims and Shared Value Report 2025