Find the latest Critical Illness Cover quotes for your business!

At Hooray Health & Protection, we love helping businesses find the best quotes on a range of employee benefits, including Critical Illness Cover.  Many small businesses have come to us after being turned down by one of the big providers and we can happily say, we’re usually able to find a suitable policy.

In this blog post, we detail how Critical Illness Cover quotes are calculated and provide examples from three insurance providers currently operating in the market.  You’ll also learn about some of the added extras that can be included within a policy.

If you’d like a real quote for your business, your best bet is to click on the Get Quotes button above and you’ll get a price without any obligations to take things further.

Critical Illness explained

Group Critical Illness Cover provides staff with a tax-free lump sum in the event of them falling critically ill. The definition of ‘critically ill’ will vary according to the policy but will usually include 10-15 conditions and encompass health problems such as cancer, heart attacks and strokes. Providing this cover reassures your employees that they will be able to afford the care they require and have money to assist with general living costs.

It’s reassuring for employees to know that their employer has them protected should the worst happen – and this makes it an important tool for employee retention. It also signals to potential employees that you’re an employer who cares, thereby assisting in the recruitment of new staff.

Looking for one-to-one advice on Group Critical Illness cover and other employee benefits? Our friendly team of experts can help FREE of charge. Either contact us at hello@hoorayinsurance.co.uk or click on the bottom right chatbox.

Key factors influencing Group Critical Illness Cover quotes

Group Critical Illness Cover quotes vary according to a range of factors. As with many employee benefits, there is no such thing as a blanket quote.

However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing!

Due to the cost of Group Critical being based on the exact details of your staff and business, the result will be tailored to suit your specific employee and business needs.

Factors impacting your quote:

• The average age of employees
• Number of employees
• Location
• Occupation
• Any long-term absentees
• Employee’s previous claims history
• Level of cover chosen

Further reading: Which conditions are insured by Group Critical Illness Cover?

Top 3 UK Group Critical Illness providers

Below we’ve outlined the offerings of three major Group Critical Illness providers. While businesses are free to negotiate quotes directly with insurers, it’s recommended to gather a variety of quotes from an independent broker like Hooray – FREE of charge. We have no commercial interest in siphoning you towards one particular provider, we will always consider Critical Illness Cover quotes from across the whole market and deliver those that best fit your needs.

Remember: insurers will also have a varied list of inclusions/exclusions and special add-ons which make straightforward price comparisons difficult. Nonetheless, it’s always useful to be clued up on what providers are offering, so here’s an overview:

Unum

Offering protection policies and health and wellbeing services to 2.8 million employees and their loved ones, Unum remains one of the leading employee benefits providers in the market. Unum offers expert health and wellbeing services as well as financial protection through the workplace.

Unum’s cover options include:

• Base: 13 critical illnesses inc. heart attack, stroke, cancer, dementia
• Extra: all base conditions plus an additional 26 extra illnesses inc. brain tumour, rheumatoid arthritis, terminal illnesses, and total permanent disability.

Funding options:

• Standard: employer-funded plus a minimum of 3 employees
• Flexible: funded either by the employer or with employees – available for policies covering 150/more employees
• Voluntary: employee-funded with premiums collected by the employer – available for policies covering 150/more employees

What makes Unum truly stand out is its additional health and wellbeing services included in its Group Critical Illness plan:

• Help@hand: an easy-to-use app access to virtual GP, mental health support, physiotherapy, medical second opinions, health assessments and wellbeing resources.
• Employee Assistance Programmes: access to confidential 24/7 helpline, financial/business legal support, and wellbeing content – all integrated into the Help@hand app.
• Unum Cancer Pathway: quick and easy access to personalised cancer support

Aviva

Aviva is one of the UK’s leading insurers and has been around the insurance market for more than 320 years. In 2025, Aviva paid out around 760 Group Critical Illness claims to a total sum of around £57 million. With a range of coverage options to choose from and plenty of additional benefits, Aviva is always an insurer we consider for our clients.

Aviva’s cover options include:

• Standard cover: 15 critical illnesses and operations inc. cancer, heart attack, stroke, major organ transplant
• Extended cover: all standard illnesses, plus 26 other critical illnesses/operations inc. aorta graft surgery, blindness, heart valve replacement, liver failure, terminal illnesses
• Child cover: automatically included, covers child-specific conditions e.g., cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis
• Optional partner cover

Aviva also offers a range of wellbeing extras, most of which housed in its Aviva DigiCare+ Workplace app or within its Employee Assistance Programme:

• Access to medical specialists
• Health checks
• Digital GP
• Second medical opinion
• Mental health consultations
• Nutritional consultations
• Bereavement support
• Wellbeing library
• Activity reward programme
• Care navigator services (depending on the employer’s arrangement)

Canada Life

Canada Life has been operating in the UK since 1903 and paid out £541m in Group Protection claims to over 7,000 families in 2025. They provide retirement, investment, and protection solutions to individuals, families, and corporate customers.

For their Group Critical Illness offering, every policy includes 13 core illnesses including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and strokes. They also supply an option of including a further 28 illnesses into your policy, as well as cover for permanent disabilities.

Additional services include:

• Children’s cover – eligible children can be covered.
• Optional partner/spouse cover
• Cover for less severe conditions: some conditions can qualify for partial benefit payments even if they don’t meet the full critical illness definition.
• Second Medical Opinion
• Early support services
• myStrength mental wellbeing app, available to all customers at no extra cost – including an extensive range of self-help tools
• WeCare health and wellbeing app – including 24/7 GP and mental health helpline and counselling
• Specialist cancer support from Perci Health – includes access to a dedicated cancer nurse
• Practical and emotional support from a qualified nurse post-diagnosis

Gather Critical Illness Cover quotes for your business today!

Every provider has much to offer and there is no one right or wrong direction to go in – it all depends on the needs of your business, the budgetary constraints you’re working within and the makeup of your workforce.

Here is where we can help! At Hooray Health & Protection, we help businesses understand the health insurance and employee benefits market and provide expert advice on the best options available. Whether you need quotes and advice on Group Critical Illness insurance or any other form of health insurance, we will provide one-to-one support with no fees or contracts attached.

Call us on 01273 222805 or click on the bottom right chatbox.

Further reading:  Group Critical Illness: Frequently asked questions