What is critical illness insurance?

Critical illness insurance is coverage that can help Canadians or those living in Canada pay the additional costs associated with life-altering illnesses like cancer, stroke, heart attack and dementia. 

What are the benefits of critical illness insurance?

Simply put, getting a critical illness can be very expensive. Critical illness insurance can help you pay for any expenses due to an illness that’s covered in your policy. 

What are the benefits of critical illness insurance?

  • Helps pay for expenses that aren’t covered by your provincial or territorial health plan. 

  • Provides a lump sum of money  for you and your family as you cope with a critical illness.

  • Reduces financial stress so that you can focus on your recovery. 

How does critical illness insurance pay out?

Let’s say you become diagnosed with an illness covered by your policy and you survive the waiting period. In such cases, you’ll receive a lump-sum payment once your claim is approved. Please note that you may not receive a payout for any pre-existing conditions. There are also additional exclusions and limitations that may apply. Connect with an advisor for more detailed information.   You can then use this money however you want and for any reason. For example, this can cover out-of-pocket expenses that may not be covered by your provincial or territorial health insurance, such as certain prescription drugs, mortgage, rent, short- or long-term care, etc.

How much coverage can you get?

At Sun Life, we offer two critical illness insurance products:  Sun Critical Illness Insurance and Express Critical Illness Insurance. These products offer different amounts of coverage.

How much critical illness insurance do you need?

The amount of coverage you need depends on your personal situation. Find out how much a critical illness can cost you and how much coverage you may need to financially protect yourself. Try our critical illness insurance calculator.

What does critical illness insurance cover?

It depends on the product you buy. Some policies will cover more critical illnesses than others.

Sun Critical Illness Insurance covers illnesses such as cancer, dementia, organ transplant, heart attack, stroke, paralysis and multiple sclerosis, to name a few. But you won’t receive any coverage if you’re diagnosed with a disease that’s not listed in your policy.

Express Critical Illness Insurance offers 3 plans: Basic, Enhanced and Comfort.

  • The Basic plan only covers cancer.1
  • The Enhanced plan covers cancer,2 heart attack and stroke.
  • The Comfort plan covers cancer,3 heart attack, stroke, coronary artery bypass surgery, aortic surgery, major organ transplant and major organ failure.
  • Learn more about these plans. 

1, 2, 3 Types of life-altering cancers include carcinoma, melanoma, leukemia, lymphoma, and sarcoma. Additional criteria, conditions and exclusions may apply. See Express CII Definitions and Exclusions for more information.

Get critical illness insurance

Talk to an advisor to buy insurance

Not sure what’s right for you? Talk to a Sun Life advisor. Our advisors look at your specific needs to help you figure out which insurance products you need.


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Buy critical illness insurance online

You can apply for Express Critical Illness Insurance online and get coverage for $25,000 or $50,000.If you want coverage for another amount, you’ll have to connect with an advisor to get a quote and apply.  Online approval is instant with no medical or blood work required. 
 

Learn more about Express CII and get a quote

Does critical illness insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

No, it does not cover pre-existing conditions.1 However, in certain cases, we may be able to issue a critical illness policy with your pre-existing condition removed. Connect with an advisor for more detailed information. 

1 A pre-existing condition can include any condition you had prior to the effective date of your policy. This includes any condition that required medical care and treatment. The lookback period for a pre-existing condition can range from a couple of months to a year before your policy begins. 

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How can I get a quote for critical illness insurance?

If you’re looking for coverage over $50,000, then you can connect with an advisor to get a quote for Sun Critical Illness Insurance. However, if you want coverage at the amounts of $25,000 or $50,000, you can get a quote and apply online for Express Critical Illness Insurance. But it’s important to note that Express Critical Illness Insurance covers a smaller range of illnesses than Sun Critical Illness Insurance.

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Do I need to take a medical exam for critical illness insurance?

It depends on the product you’re applying for. If you’re applying online for Express Critical Illness Insurance, then you won’t have to answer any medical questions or undergo a medical exam. However, if you’re applying for Sun Critical Illness Insurance, which offers coverage up to $3,000,000, then you may need a medical exam during the application process. 

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What if I already have critical illness insurance through my group benefits?

It's great to have insurance coverage through your work. But keep in mind that group benefits are only available if you remain with that employer. You may lose your benefits if you ever leave your job. In such cases, it helps to be prepared by topping up your group insurance with your own individual policy. So that you remain financially protected, regardless of whether you have group benefits through an employer.  

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What if I used to have critical illness insurance through my group benefits?

If you used to have critical illness insurance with Sun Life or any other provider through a previous employer, then you may be eligible for Choices Critical Illness Insurance. This is provided you’ve left your group plan within the last 60 days.  

Choices Critical Illness Insurance is a policy that allows you to keep up to $100,000 of coverage each for you and your spouse, and $20,000 for each eligible child. We won’t ask any health questions or make you take any medical tests. You can apply online in just minutes.

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What types of cancer are covered by critical illness insurance?

In regards to cancer, our critical illness insurance products covers carcinoma, melanoma, leukemia, lymphoma and sarcoma.* For example, to receive a payout, you must have a cancer diagnosis confirmed by a pathology report. It’s also important to note that certain types of cancer are excluded from a critical illness insurance policy. Connect with an advisor for more detailed information.

*Additional criteria, conditions and exclusions may apply. See Express CII Definitions and Exclusions for more information.

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Does critical illness insurance cover me for my whole life?

It depends on the product you buy. Sun Critical Illness insurance can cover you for your whole life. But Express Critical Illness insurance won’t cover you for your whole life. Connect with an advisor for more detailed information. 

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Do I need critical illness insurance?

You may need critical illness insurance if you think you can’t afford all the expenses that may arise (including things like some medical costs and living expenses) if you were to get diagnosed with a covered critical illness. It can also help protect you from loss of income, in case you need to take time off work to recover.  Here’s how to find out if critical illness insurance is right for you. 

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Do my kids need critical illness insurance?

You may need critical illness insurance for a child if you think you can’t afford all the expenses that may arise if your child is diagnosed with a covered critical illness. For example, you may need to take time off work (resulting in income loss) to take care of your child. In such cases, a critical illness insurance plan for a child would give you a lump sum of money if your kid ever gets one of the illnesses covered in the policy. Here’s how to find out if your kids need critical illness insurance. 

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Can I convert my critical illness insurance to a different policy?

It depends on the product you buy. Express Critical Illness Insurance does not allow you to convert your policy. However, Sun Critical Illness Insurance does offer a plan with a conversion option. Connect with an advisor for more detailed information. 

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How is critical illness insurance different from other types of insurance?

There are four common types of health insurance: critical illness insurance, personal health insurance, disability insurance and long-term care insurance. Of these four, only critical illness insurance provides a lump-sum payment if you’re diagnosed with a covered critical illness. Connect with an advisor to find out which insurance products are right for you. 

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Where can I learn more about critical illness insurance?

An advisor can provide more detailed information about critical illness insurance and answer any questions you have.
Enter your postal code to connect with an advisor near you.