When critical illness insurance was first launced in South Africa it was also known as ‘dread disease’ due to the life threatening natures of the illnesses that were covered these being heart attack, cancer, stroke and coronary artery bye-pass surgery.  There were only four illnesses covered under a dread disease contract in the early days of critical illness insurance.  As the product grew it went on to add more illnesses.  Today the Association of British Insurers have 22 standard illnesses but most insurance companies not only adopt these but also add their own illnesses too.  For instance, BUPA have a further 16 illnesses taking their total to 38 illnesses covered on their critical illness policy.

The term dread disease is not used very often now.  It became critical illness mainly due to the increasesed amount of illnesses covered.  Critical illness is the widely used name now although it is still also known as serious illness insurance, crisis cash and living assurance.