It seems today that more and more people are experiencing various illnesses than ever before. Although the quality of life has improved infinitely in the

last hundred years and life expectancy has risen dramatically, unfortunately incidences of various serious illnesses have apparently risen along with that. This can be attributed to pollution, lifestyle, the standard of health care and any number of other factors, but it all points towards one thing - an increase importance of critical illness cover.Today, one in five men experience a critical illness before retirement age, with one in six women experiencing one. This could cause severe financial hardship for households that need a certain level of income in order to pay off the mortgage. Critical illness cover is therefore essential if you do not want to take chances and yet do want to provide a little safety net until you get back on your feet.Critical illness cover protects you against a variety of illnesses and not just against cancer, as is the common misconception. Critical illness cover actually covers everything from bacterial meningitis to dementia to a heart attack to organ transplant. However, it is essential to examine the terms and conditions of any policy fully to see just what it would cover you for and what illnesses are exempt. The illnesses covered really do vary from provider to provider so make sure that you know what your policy covers you for in advance.Critical illness cover is an absolute must for those individuals that have a mortgage today, but policies can actually be taken out independently for individuals that are concerned about the consequences and repercussions that a long-term illness would have on their family. After all, if one income was taken away from a household then it may well be difficult for that household to survive. Without critical illness cover then individuals would undoubtedly receive statutory sick pay after a certain period of time, which is barely enough to cover weekly expenses let alone a mortgage, and would be unable to work. This can lead to serious debt and puts your home at risk unless you have adequate protection, like the protection that critical illness cover provides.Critical illness cover is available from most leading providers of insurance and also from independent providers that specialise in such cover. It is worth exploring all options before you actually choose a policy because those offered in conjunction with a mortgage do not always represent the best value. They do not always cater for individual wants and needs either, so it is essential that you explore the market and read the terms and conditions of the few that you prefer before signing on the dotted line. There are tools that you can use to compare policies without having to spend time manually doing it yourself. A search and compare website is perhaps the best way because it takes just a few minutes.You cannot put a price on the peace of mind that this sort of cover can give you, or on the comfort zone in which you live at the moment. Many individuals underestimate just how much a serious medical problem can affect them, but critical illness cover can make it that little bit easier for you and enable you to concentrate on getting better!