If you belong to a medical scheme and you have taken out cover for disability, you may wonder why you also need severe illness cover. Your medical scheme should cover the cost of your treatment for severe illnesses, but it may have annual limits or may not cover the full cost of the specialist treatment you prefer, says Henk Meintjes, the head of risk product development at Liberty. In addition, you may incur costs adjusting your lifestyle once you have a severe illness. Meintjes says the payout from a severe illness policy can be used for anything from paying for specialised cancer treatments overseas to hiring a helper at home. A use of the policy payout is for home care and assistive devices not covered by a medical scheme, or for an au pair to take care of your children while you are incapacitated. Your disability cover will pay out if you are permanently unable to work. A severe illness may leave you temporarily unable to work, but in the case of a cancer that you are likely to...
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