The GREAT Family Care offers late-stage critical illness coverage for 53 conditions, free child protection, and a unique multi-generational focus. While affordable, it lacks early CI coverage and multipay options, making it best for families seeking basic but reliable coverage.
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Curious about Great Eastern GREAT Family Care? Click here to uncover its unique benefits.
Affordable for basic coverage, starting at S$609 annually for a 35-year-old non-smoking male with S$100,000 coverage.
Provides robust late-stage critical illness protection for 53 conditions, with added child and parent-focused benefits.
Unique multi-generational coverage, free child protection, and a Parent Protect Rider, but lacks early-stage CI and multipay options.
- Affordable premiums for families, especially young parents and first-time buyers.
- Includes free child coverage and a unique Parent Protect Rider without medical exams.
- Covers 53 late-stage critical illnesses and terminal illnesses, plus basic death and TPD coverage.
- Lacks multipay options and early CI coverage, which some competitors offer at similar price points.
- Parent Protect Rider only covers three critical illnesses, limiting its utility.
- Excludes early-stage CI conditions, leaving gaps in preventive health support.
VERDICT:
The GREAT Family Care is a solid choice for families seeking affordable and straightforward protection.
It shines in its multi-generational approach, offering free child coverage and optional parental coverage under one plan.
However, its limitations, such as the absence of early-stage critical illness benefits and multipay options, make it less comprehensive than some competitors.
If you’re looking for a policy with basic yet reliable late-stage critical illness coverage, it’s a strong contender.
But for those prioritising early intervention or recurrent claims, exploring alternative plans with broader benefits might be worthwhile.
What we like about the Great Eastern GREAT Family Care
Premium Payment Terms
One thing I really like about Great Family Care is its flexibility and affordability in terms of premium payment.
It ensures that even those on a tighter budget can still secure comprehensive coverage for their family.
For instance:
- The policy offers premiums as low as S$609 annually for a 35-year-old non-smoking male, with coverage of S$100,000.
- This affordability makes it accessible for young families, single parents, or those just starting out in their financial journey.
- Its structured premiums provide predictable costs, allowing policyholders to budget effectively for the long term.
The balance of cost and coverage ensures that families can plan their finances confidently while still gaining meaningful protection.
Critical Illness Coverage
The GREAT Family Care excels in providing robust coverage for critical illnesses.
With a focus on late-stage illnesses, it gives policyholders peace of mind during some of life’s most challenging moments.
- It covers 53 late-stage critical illnesses, a comprehensive list that includes common and severe conditions like cancer and heart attack.
- The inclusion of terminal illness benefits ensures that families are supported during life’s most devastating times.
- There’s also basic coverage for death and total permanent disability (TPD), adding an extra layer of security for the insured.
While early-stage illnesses aren’t covered, the depth of protection for late-stage conditions makes this policy a strong safety net for policyholders who may face critical health challenges.
Child Protection
The GREAT Family Care goes beyond the basics, ensuring that children have coverage without additional costs.
Here’s why this feature stands out:
- It provides free coverage for children, extending benefits to 53 critical illnesses and 25 juvenile conditions.
- Juvenile-specific coverage includes conditions like severe asthma and epilepsy, addressing health concerns that are particularly relevant for young ones.
- The child benefit offers a payout of up to 25% of the sum assured for these conditions, helping families manage treatment costs during tough times.
This feature ensures parents can protect their children without needing separate policies, making it both convenient and cost-effective.
Multi-Generational Focus
The multi-generational approach of the Great Family Care policy is one of its most unique aspects.
It’s designed to cater not just to the insured but also to their children and even parents.
Here’s what makes it special:
- The policy allows for the addition of a Parent Protect Rider, which provides coverage for parents without the need for medical examinations.
- This rider includes coverage for three specific critical illnesses that are common among older adults, such as cancer and stroke.
- By including both children and parents, the policy creates a comprehensive safety net for the entire family, which is particularly appealing for households managing multi-generational care.
This feature’s ability to protect multiple generations under one plan showcases its thoughtfulness and practicality for families in Singapore.
What we think the Great Eastern GREAT Family Care could do better
Critical Illness Claim Limits
The critical illness claim limits of the Great Family Care policy leave much to be desired.
While the policy provides coverage for late-stage critical illnesses, it misses opportunities to offer more comprehensive support.
Here’s why this is a concern:
- The policy does not allow for multiple payouts for critical illnesses, which means if a policyholder recovers from one illness but later suffers another, they are not eligible for additional claims.
- Claims are limited to late-stage critical illnesses, excluding support for early or intermediate stages. This leaves a significant gap, especially when early intervention is critical to improving outcomes.
- Conditions like early-stage cancer, which often require costly treatments, are not covered under this plan.
This limitation restricts the policy’s usefulness for those who may face evolving health challenges over time.
Parent Protect Rider Limitations
While the Parent Protect Rider is a unique offering, its limited scope reduces its overall impact.
The idea is great in theory, but the execution could be better.
Here’s where it falls short:
- It only covers three specific critical illnesses for parents. While these illnesses, such as cancer and stroke, are significant, the coverage does not extend to other common conditions that might affect older adults, such as Alzheimer’s or kidney failure.
- The lack of a medical exam requirement is convenient but might not be enough to justify its narrow coverage.
- Parents with pre-existing conditions that aren’t among the covered illnesses are left without support, diminishing the rider’s inclusiveness.
This limitation might leave families feeling underprotected when it comes to their aging parents’ needs.
No Early CI Coverage
One of the biggest drawbacks of Great Family Care is the absence of early critical illness (CI) coverage.
This oversight limits its ability to support policyholders during the initial stages of a critical health condition.
- Early CI coverage is vital as it allows for claims during the early stages of illnesses like Stage 1 cancer, which can often be treated more effectively with timely intervention.
- Without this feature, policyholders must wait until illnesses progress to a late stage to access benefits, potentially leading to higher treatment costs and more severe health outcomes.
- The lack of early CI coverage means the policy doesn’t support proactive healthcare, which is becoming increasingly important in Singapore’s aging population.
This omission undermines the policy’s ability to provide comprehensive critical illness protection, particularly for those prioritising preventive care.
Better alternatives to the Great Eastern GREAT Family Care
Singlife Multipay Critical Illness Plan
The Singlife Multipay Critical Illness Plan stands out for its comprehensive and flexible coverage, making it a strong alternative.
Here’s why it’s better:
- It allows multiple claims, even for unrelated critical illnesses, ensuring ongoing support throughout the policyholder’s life.
- Coverage spans early, intermediate, and late-stage illnesses, addressing critical gaps seen in other policies like Great Family Care.
- The plan covers over 120 conditions, offering one of the broadest scopes in the market.
- For recurring claims, Singlife provides payouts even after the initial diagnosis and recovery, which is particularly helpful for illnesses like cancer that have a high likelihood of relapse.
This focus on multipay and stage-inclusive coverage ensures a policyholder isn’t left unprotected during evolving health challenges.
HSBC Life Super CritiCare
HSBC Life Super CritiCare is another excellent choice due to its emphasis on long-term and recurrent support.
Here’s why it’s a better option:
- The policy includes recurrent claims, offering payouts for multiple critical illness diagnoses across different stages.
- It provides a safety net for policyholders who may experience relapses, such as a second or third occurrence of cancer.
- The plan’s structure ensures extended coverage even after a claim, unlike single-payout policies where coverage ends after the first claim.
For those worried about the unpredictability of critical illnesses, HSBC Life Super CritiCare’s recurrent claim feature provides peace of mind, ensuring they’re never left without support.
Manulife CI FlexiCare (Deluxe)
Manulife CI FlexiCare (Deluxe) strikes an excellent balance between flexibility and coverage, making it a better choice for many.
Here’s why:
- It offers robust protection across all stages of critical illnesses, from early detection to late-stage conditions.
- The plan includes a high payout limit, ensuring substantial financial support for serious illnesses.
- Policyholders benefit from its tailored flexibility, making it easier to adapt the plan to their specific needs over time.
By covering all illness stages with high payout limits, Manulife CI FlexiCare is ideal for those seeking dependable and adaptable protection against health uncertainties.
Let Us Compare Policies For You
When it comes to critical illness insurance plans, the most important factor depends entirely on your priorities.
- If your concern is having coverage for the most number of conditions, then the range of illnesses included in the plan will matter most to you.
- If you’re particular about specific definitions of conditions, you’ll need to dig deeper into the policy details to understand exactly what’s covered.
- If you’re looking for multiple claims, a multipay plan will take precedence over a traditional single-payout policy.
- If price is a deciding factor, you might want to focus on plans offering the most value or even consider a whole life or term life plan with riders, which tend to be more cost-effective.
- If you have pre-existing medical conditions, finding a suitable insurer and policy becomes more challenging but not impossible—it just requires more research and expertise.
Ultimately, a policy that’s perfect for one goal might not work for someone with a different objective.
That’s why it’s so important to understand exactly what you’re purchasing and how it aligns with your current situation and future goals.
Here’s where we can help.
We specialise in comparing policies for you, making sure they’re tailored to your needs and aspirations.
Whether it’s finding the most comprehensive coverage, navigating exclusions, or simply getting the best value for money, we’re here to guide you.
And the best part?
It’s a free, non-obligatory comparison session.
We’ll help you understand your options, provide tailored recommendations, and even obtain quotes to ensure you have everything you need to make an informed decision — all without any pressure to commit.
Your financial security is important, and we’re here to make sure you’re well-protected and confident in your choice.