Living Benefits
A serious life-altering illness strikes one in three Canadians in their lifetime.
Getting sick isn’t something any of us like to think about. But it happens. If it does, thanks to improvements in healthy living and medical science, there is a good chance you will recover and get on with your life.
Treating and coping with illness can mean significant and often unexpected costs. In the meantime, you may need to replace lost income, or make mortgage payments.
Consider these statistics:
Heart Disease
1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women are predicted to develop heart disease in their lifetime.
It is estimated there are over 70,000 heart attacks in Canada each year.
Cancer
1 in 2.3 men and 1 in 2.6 women living in Canada will develop cancer during their lifetime.
In Nova Scotia there are presently over 5,000 people (14 people per day) diagnosed with some type of invasive cancer each year (Cancer Care Nova Scotia, December 12, 2006).
Stroke
There are between 40,000 to 50,000 strokes in Canada each year.
80% of stroke patients survive the initial event.
Before you become disabled from an accident or illness, consider the options on the sidebar.
Sources: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada 2005; National Cancer Institute of Canada; Canadian Cancer Statistics 2005.