There is a better way to win this

As a proponent of the benefits of critical illness protection I was dismayed to read Ben Heffer’s article (FA, 17 July) in which he applauded the actions of those insurers who seek to differentiate their product by the inclusion of additional conditions.

Those advisers who are knowledgeable in these matters will refute such machinations, particularly when most of the additional conditions are peripheral and unlikely to result in a claim. Far better to concentrate on the actual claim definition wordings where providers can add to their laurels by exceeding the ABI model wordings and by the removal of unnecessary exclusions.

Sadly, I fear that there are many advisers whose simplistic view of critical illness plans is summed up by ‘the more conditions, the better the plan’.

Alan Lakey, partner, Highclere Financial Services, Herts