5 leading Group Critical Illness providers 2025: who offers the best cover?

If you’re seeking Group Critical Illness Insurance for your employees, then you’ll want to find an affordable policy that lives up to the sales spiel.

As an employee benefits broker, Hooray Health & Protection regularly reviews the market to ensure businesses get the right policy for their people.

So which insurer currently offers the best policy?

As always in the world of insurance, there’s no one answer.

UK businesses currently have five Group Critical Illness providers to choose from. In this article you’ll get a good idea of what they bring to the table.

Would you like no-obligation quotes to speed up your search for Group Critical Illness Insurance? Simply email hello@hoorayinsurance.co.uk or call 01273 222805 to arrange a 10-minute chat and start pricing.

What is Group Critical Illness Cover?

At its core, it’s pretty straightforward. If a member of your team is diagnosed with a serious condition or has to undergo a major operation and survives the set survival period (usually 14 days), a tax-free lump sum is paid out. This money can be used for anything you like, whether it’s paying for private medical treatment or everyday living expenses.

Most insurers will offer child cover as standard, with an option to add a spouse or partner at an extra cost.

Another common feature of Group Critical Illness products is that they usually offer two main tiers of cover. Standard/core cover usually covers between 12 and 15 conditions, while an extended policy adds up to 27 more conditions.

Let’s look at each Group Critical Illness Insurance provider in more detail…

5 leading Group Critical Illness providers 2025

1.   Aviva

Aviva is one of the most established Group Critical Illness providers in the UK. Aviva recently acquired AIG Life, strengthening its UK market position.

Aviva paid over £46 million in claims in 2024 and always aims to process them quickly. Cover is available for businesses with five or more employees, which makes it a practical option for SMEs.

Aviva’s cover options include:

• Standard: includes 16 conditions, including the major critical illnesses most employees expect, such as cancer, heart attack, and stroke.
• Extended: expands cover to 27 more conditions for broader protection, including blindness and terminal illness.

Aviva’s main features include:

• Payouts for second or subsequent cancers (if unrelated and cancer-free for at least five years).
• Mental wellbeing app – Aviva DigiCare+ Workplace
• Line manager toolkit
• Nurse support in event of a claim
• Wellbeing extras like access to legal and mental health advice, is available.

Is Aviva’s Critical Illness policy a good choice for your business? Our team will happily tell you how their policy shapes up against the competition. Simply get in touch via hello@hoorayinsurance.co.uk and we’ll also get some pricing for you.

2.   Canada Life

Canada Life often goes under the radar against bigger brand names, but they’ve always had a strong offering for SMEs. They currently offer cover for two or more employees, making them particularly attractive to micro-businesses.

Canada Life’s two cover options include:

• Core: covers 12 essential conditions such as cancer, heart attack, and stroke.
• Extended: adds up to 26 further illnesses, plus optional extras like Total Permanent Disability (TPD).

Key features include:

• No medical underwriting in most cases.
• Cover is available for your employees’ partners.
• Personal nurse service in event of claim
• myStrength mental wellbeing app
• Toothfairy, a smart dental app
• Second medical opinions are available for nearly all treatments or diagnoses.

Is Canada Life’s Critical Illness policy a smart choice? Find out how their policy compares against the competition by contacting our friendly experts via hello@hoorayinsurance.co.uk or call 01273 222805 – we’ll also get some quotes for you!

3.   Zurich

Zurich Insurance may have been around for more than 150 years, but as a Group Critical Illness provider they are a young whipper snapper. The launched their first Group Critical Illness policy in late 2024, but they’ve long offered individual policies so they know what they are doing!

Zurich offers a little more flexibility than most and that makes it attractive to small businesses looking for comprehensive cover.

Zurich has two main cover options:

• Standard policy: covering 15 illnesses for staff
• Additional policy: covering 27 further conditions

Key features include:

• Option to cover partner or spouse
• Option to increase child cover up to £50k
• Cancer Drug Fund
• Reframe Cancer Support Service
• 24/7 counselling support via its Employee Assistance Programme
• Virtual GP
• Second medical opinion service
• Pre-claims team to help make the claims process faster

Is Zurich’s Critical Illness policy a wise choice? Find out how their policy compares against the competition by contacting Hooray’s friendly expert brokers via hello@hoorayinsurance.co.uk or  01273 222805 – we’ll also get some quotes for you without demanding any commitments!

4.   Unum

A good Group Critical Illness provider does more than just pay out on claims (though that’s still the most important thing!). Unum’s support tools (available without having to make a claim!) help reduce stress and absenteeism, making everyone healthier and more productive.

Unum two cover options available:

• Base cover: Includes 13 critical illnesses such as cancer, dementia, heart attack, and stroke.
• Extra cover: Includes 26 more conditions, such as brain tumour, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and terminal illness.

Unum’s standout features include:

• Help@hand service: offers remote GP appointments, wellbeing tools and mental health support.
• Absence management support: Employee support before, during, and after absences to minimise disruption.
• Cancer support pathways: Receive support at cancer diagnosis and throughout treatment,
• Employer communications toolkit

Is Unum’s Critical Illness policy a savvy choice for your business? Find out how their policy really compares against the competition by contacting Hooray’s friendly award-winning brokers via hello@hoorayinsurance.co.uk or 01273 222805 – we’ll also get some quotes for you!

5.   Legal & General

Legal & General is one of the Group Critical Illness providers that provide transparent and straightforward coverage.

Legal & General two cover options include:

• Core cover: covering 15 conditions, including heart attacks, stroke, cancer, and dementia.
• Additional cover: is available for a further 26 conditions including coma, HIV, and total and permanent disability.

Key features include:

• You need a minimum of 10 insured employees to start. Coverage continues as long as at least five employees stay insured.
• Child cover included for 21 conditions
• Nurse support services: A free telephone service offering advice and support from a qualified nurse
• Medical concierge: Employees get a personal guide to arrange treatment, compare options, and access the latest care.
• Second medical opinion
• Health Assured EAP: Wellbeing toolkit offering 24/7 emotional and practical support tools to all employees (not just those making a claim)

Should I opt for Legal & General’s Critical Illness policy? Hooray’s award-winning advisers will help you decide by gathering quotes and sharing a few insider secrets – without demanding any commitments from you. Click the Get Quotes button above or email hello@hoorayinsurance.co.uk to get the best pricing and advice.

Final thoughts

There is no uniform “best” policy. The right fit depends on your budget, the size of your team, and what support you feel is best suited to your people. Some of these group critical illness providers have a strong reputation for their smooth claims process, while others stand out for their wellbeing support.

If you need help finding the right provider for your small business, then Hooray is here for you! Our advisers will provide you with quotes and breakdowns of cover from multiple providers so you have everything you need to make the best choice for your team.

Contact Hooray today to get started!