There hasn’t been much sun to get excited about this summer but nevertheless, the risk of skin cancer remains very real and despite its cooler climate, the UK has the seventh highest and ninth highest incidence rate for women and men respectively, in Europe.

Although in most cases treatable, skin cancer can disrupt your life and add unexpected costs and even time off work for treatment and recovery.

With this in mind, it is interesting to see AIG Life adding a new definition to its critical illness cover, which means it now covers more people diagnosed with skin cancer.

If a policyholder is diagnosed with a more advanced stage of non-melanoma skin cancer, AIG Life will pay out 25% of their sum assured or £25,000 (whichever is lower).

It can offer cover even for people who have had a history of non-melanoma skin cancer, with one or two conditions attached.

Generally speaking, critical illness insurance pays out if you suffer a critical illness like a heart attack and most cancers. There are many different policies available with different providers having different illnesses that they do and don’t cover.

As with life cover, critical illness cover can be set up on a decreasing term basis, to protect a repayment mortgage or a level term basis, to protect an interest-only mortgage or for family protection.

It doesn’t HAVE to be used to pay mortgage payments. It can be used to pay for care or recuperation costs, for example, as long as you meet the criteria of the lender.

It is quite complex and there are many, many different policies with differing definitions of critical illness and different illnesses covered. This is an example where a conversation with someone who knows the market in depth really pays off for the customer.