Mumbai: India''s largest private life insurer, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, has launched its newest health insurance product, Crisis Cover, to provide comprehensive cover against disease, disability and death to policyholders.

The product is unique because it offers the widest coverage against 35 critical illnesses, total and permanent disability, and death over the long-term, making it the most comprehensive critical illness plan available in India today.

"Rapid progress has the unfortunate side effect of increased stress, poor diet and lack of exercise, which has led to an increase in the incidence of illnesses, particularly lifestyle diseases," said Shikha Sharma, managing director and CEO, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance.

"For many, financial constraints keep them from accessing appropriate healthcare, and we believe that Crisis Cover, with its long-term, benefit-based approach and cover against a comprehensive list of illnesses is ideally positioned to bridge this gap," Sharma added.

The 35 conditions covered by Crisis Cover include angioplasty, brain surgery, coronary artery bypass surgery, kidney failure, heart attack, major organ transplant, stroke, etc. With such a comprehensive list of illnesses, the plan would provide cover against disease related to most body organs and even loss of senses such hearing, eyesight and loss of limbs. The applicable sum assured is paid in the event of being diagnosed with a critical illness or on being rendered totally disabled or on death, whichever occurs first.

Features of Crisis Cover:

• Benefit amount paid on diagnosis of any of the 35 critical illnesses, disability or death
  
• Receive lump sum benefit amount irrespective of actual billing and in addition to other benefit received under another medical insurance plan.
  
• Long-term coverage upto 75 years of age
  
• Coverage continues even after claiming benefit on select critical illness
  
• Tax benefits u/s 80C and 80D
  

The conditions are divided into two groups, which determine the payout advantage for policyholders.

Group 1 includes conditions such as cancer, brain surgery, blindness, heart attack, etc. Here, the full sum assured is paid on diagnosis, after which the policy closes.

Group 2 offers the coverage continuation advantage. This group includes conditions like angioplasty, Alzheimer''s disease, deafness and multiple sclerosis, etc. On diagnosis of these conditions, a sum assured up to a certain amount is paid and the policy continues for the balance sum assured for the remaining critical illnesses, disability and death. The premium will be proportionately reduced for the balance sum assured.

Crisis Cover too is available for terms ranging from 10 to 50 years. The policy can be taken by any healthy individual between 18-60 years and the term can be chosen up to 75 years of age. The sum assured under the plan can be between Rs3 and Rs20 lakh.

ICICI Prudential''s other health insurance products include Health Assure, Health Assure Plus, Cancer Care, Cancer Care Plus, Diabetes Care, Diabetes Care Plus and Hospital Care.