Cardiovascular disease is the leading causes of death in males and females worldwide. As our diagnosis and management techniques for cardiac problems improve, the incidence of cardiac surgery also rises. If your doctor has recently told you that you’ll need heart surgery to correct damage or a defect, today we explore the way forward for you under your different personal insurance policies, from term life insurance to trauma cover.

Heart surgery and term life insurance

Term life insurance only pays out upon your death, or on diagnosis of a terminal condition. Heart surgery isn’t usually performed for terminal conditions, so there is probably no reason to print off your term life insurance claim form.

However, it may be wise to let your family know about your policy and the insurer, in case something adverse happens on the operating table.

Heart surgery and income protection cover

If you need heart surgery, there’s a significant probability that you’ll be off work for long enough to claim on your income protection cover. When your doctor advises you that you’ll need heart surgery, you should contact your income protection provider immediately after you contact your family and workplace.

Even when you return to work, the nature of cardiac rehabilitation means that you probably will not be able to return to full duties immediately. Check your income protection cover to see if you are entitled to partial benefits for working fewer hours than you usually would – many good policies have this option.

Heart surgery and trauma cover

Your ability to claim on your trauma cover for heart surgery often depends on the type of surgery you require. ‘Coronary artery surgery’ is often covered by trauma policies, but it may not include specific procedures like angioplasty, drug-based techniques to improve the function of your coronary artery, or even intra-arterial procedures.

Heart valve surgery and bypass surgery should be fully covered under most trauma cover policies however.

Heart surgery is quite a scary prospect. However in modern hospitals it is also performed very safely and reliably and patients have a good chance of coming through heart surgery with a fulfilling life ahead of them. Trauma or income protection insurance can help give you the recovery time you need to make the most of your heart surgery. Therefore make sure you know what you are covered for and that you have a policy that covers the major prolific procedures and illnesses.

We may all shake our heads at the horror stories, but when was the last time you actually stopped and sat down to work out how much money your family would need to carry on in the event of your death? Heard the old saying, “A debt should not outlast the person who created it”? Your total amount of debt is a good place to start working out how much you need, but it is certainly not the only consideration. It’s essential to factor in the lost income, both of the deceased and the grieving party left behind who may need time off work or even need to make permanent changes in order to accommodate the family’s change in circumstances. How would your family’s ongoing income requirements change if you died and for how many years would you need to provide for them? What standard of life do you want to provide for them in your absence? It’s a lot to consider, but it would be so much worse if you didn’t. Don’t leave your family in the lurch – get your affairs in order today. It’s one way to keep on loving them after you’re gone.

We may all shake our heads at the horror stories, but when was the last time you actually stopped and sat down to work out how much money your family would need to carry on in the event of your death? Heard the old saying, “A debt should not outlast the person who created it”? Your total amount of debt is a good place to start working out how much you need, but it is certainly not the only consideration. It’s essential to factor in the lost income, both of the deceased and the grieving party left behind who may need time off work or even need to make permanent changes in order to accommodate the family’s change in circumstances. How would your family’s ongoing income requirements change if you died and for how many years would you need to provide for them? What standard of life do you want to provide for them in your absence? It’s a lot to consider, but it would be so much worse if you don’t. Don’t leave your family in the lurch – get your affairs in order today. It’s one way to keep on loving them after you’re gone.

Fear is a very powerful and debilitating emotion. Fear is the number one emotion responsible for holding us in back in life and keeping us from pursuing our dreams. We all have fears. They range from quirks such as fear of flying, needles or heights to fear of tests, exams and interviews to fear of heartbreak, commitment or hurting someone’s feelings. But what if you could overcome your fears?

The good news is, you can. Fear of public speaking, like all other fears, can be overcome. All you need is the right tools, a solid knowledge of your topic and training in the right way of thinking and you could be approaching the podium like you’ve been doing it all your life. The presence of fear is a fact of life – but fear itself is not fact. Except in certain circumstances where danger is imminent, all other fear is based on lies, illusions and far reaching possibilities of things that in all likelihood, will never actually happen! The power to succeed does not come out of focusing on your fear – it comes from focusing on your courage. And, the only courage you need right now, is the courage to step forward in the direction you want to go and set about learning what you need to do to move past fear into confidence and courage. This one step can set you on the path to achieving your goals and reaching your full potential – in spite of your fear.

When considering life insurance, many people think it is only necessary for the principle bread winner in the family to be covered. In fact, only 50% of female parents have life insurance and this is often only a small amount attached to a superannuation policy. However, consider how dramatically life will change if either parent in the family dies prematurely. What changes will need to be made for the care and support of the children? Will the remaining parent’s income be temporarily lost or even permanently reduced in order to cater for the needs of the children? Your sudden and early departure from this earth means you cannot be there to support your family through the tragedy, however you can minimise the stress in the surrounding circumstances by responsibly providing for their financial needs in the foreseeable future.