Last updated: February 20, 2025
Express Critical Illness Insurance provides coverage that helps with your expenses if you are diagnosed with a covered critical illness. It offers instant online approval without the need for a medical exam or blood work. Choose from three plans that offer coverage for one, three or seven common life-threatening illnesses or conditions. If you're diagnosed with one of the covered conditions and survive 30 days you will receive a tax-free1, lump-sum payment2 to use any way you wish.
If you’re diagnosed with a covered critical illness, such as cancer, critical illness insurance can help you pay for expenses that your provincial or territorial health plan doesn’t cover, like home-care costs, and more.
Key features of Express Critical Illness Insurance:
With Express Critical Illness Insurance, you have three plans to choose from. Explore each plan below to find out which one best matches your needs.
What are the eligibility criteria for Express Critical Illness Insurance?
Canadian residents age 18-64 who are looking for a starter critical illness insurance product.
Coverage varies depending on the plan you choose.
| Features | Basic Plan |
Enhanced Plan |
Comfort Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
Illnesses Covered |
|
|
|
Age Requirements |
18-65 years |
18-65 years |
18-65 years |
| Coverage Amount | $25,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
| Additional Benefits | N/A | N/A |
|
* Sun Life Medical Second Opinion, by Dialogue isn't part of the policy. We can't guarantee its availability. It may be withdrawn or modified at any time without any notice.
When will my coverage start and end?
Coverage starts as soon as your application is approved.
Coverage ends when any of these happens:
What is not covered under Express Critical Illness Insurance?
Before you enrol, make sure you read the sample policy and understand the Definitions & Exclusions including the exclusion for pre-existing conditions. When you enroll, we'll ask you to answer the health declaration statements.
All provinces (excluding Alberta and Quebec)
Comfort (without child benefit)
Alberta Only
Comfort (without child benefit)
Quebec Only
The cost of Express Critical Illness Insurance is based on your age, gender, smoking status, and the plan you choose.
For Express Critical Illness Basic and Enhanced insurance plans, the monthly cost stays fixed for one year. On your policy anniversary, the monthly cost will increase, as you’ll be older.
For the Comfort plan, we guarantee the monthly cost for the first 5 years. After that, the monthly cost increases annually on your policy anniversary.
You don’t name a beneficiary for a critical illness insurance policy. The payout goes to the policy holder. If you would like to designate a recipient other than yourself, you would need to complete a CII Payee Designation form. Call us at 1-800-669-7921, from Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, or send the completed form via mail to:
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada
P.O. Box 2001 Stn Waterloo
Waterloo, ON N2J 0A3
Making a claim
1. Call us at 1-800-669-7921. This number will also be listed at the beginning of the policy. We’ll send you the appropriate form to fill out.
2. Fill out the form and mail it to us at the address listed on the form. Include any information we ask for to assess the claim. This may include:
Notes on the written diagnosis:
The written diagnosis must include appropriate information to assess the illness. A specialist licensed and practising in Canada (or another doctor acceptable to us) must prepare and sign it.
The doctor, specialists or health care practitioners who sign the diagnosis – or provide information to us – may not be:
Keep in mind:
Time limits for claims
Sun Life Go Term Life Insurance can help you financially protect your family’s future. Get coverage from $100,000 to $1 million. Choose from 10- and 20-year terms available.
Sun Life Go Guaranteed Life Insurance coverage lasts your lifetime, no medical questions asked. You’re guaranteed to qualify, and no medical questions asked. With Sun Life Go Guaranteed Life insurance, you can choose coverage from $5,000 to $25,000.
Leave a legacy for your loved ones with life insurance.
Learn the difference between term and perm, and find out what’s right for you.
Learn the difference between term and whole life, and find out what’s right for you.
Speak to an advisor to get advice about your insurance needs. They can go over your life insurance options and answer your questions.
Call: 1-844-528-0583
Mon - Fri: 8 a.m. – 8p.m. ET
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada is the insurer, and is a member of the Sun Life group of companies. Sun Life Financial Distributors (Canada) Inc. is licensed to offer life and health insurance in all jurisdictions in Canada.
1 There are no specific income tax laws for critical illness insurance. Based on current tax laws, we believe any cash benefit from critical illness insurance will not presently be taxed when the policy is owned by an individual and the benefit is payable to an individual.
2 Claims are assessed based critical illnesses specifically covered in the Client's critical illness insurance contract at time of issue. Covered illnesses must meet the specific definition requirements, and coverage is subject to exclusions and limitations. Diagnosis of a critical illness must occur after the effective date of coverage and you must complete a survival period (usually 30 days).
