Whilst we strive to empower people to provide life and serious illness assurance cover for themselves in order to protect their loved ones, we like our clients, hate to actually really think about it.

None of us wants to leave our loved ones behind or in a vulnerable position if we were ill.

The good news is that a lot of serious illnesses are treatable to the extent that a full recovery can be made.

None of us like to think about the horror of being diagnosed with a serious illness. But what could be a comfort would be having access to an expert second medical opinion. This would bring comfort insofar as being able to double check all the questions one would have, namely is the diagnosis correct and is the treatment correct.
We live in an age of unprecedented worldwide research. Announcements of major advances in medical diagnosis and treatment of disease are a regular occurrence. Hence such an expert medical service can be provided with often invaluable results.

Some of the life assurance providers offer such an expert medical second opinion.

Aviva for example have the Second Medical Opinion service provided by Best Doctors, a network of medical experts who can help you make important medical decisions with confidence.

Best Doctors is a worldwide network of over 53,000 leading medical specialists across 450 specialities (Source: Best Doctors, March 2016). These experts are identified through the medical profession’s largest ongoing peer-to-peer survey. Best Doctors provides access to expert medical specialists who help you understand your medical conditions and treatment options, so you make the right decisions about your care.

What is Best Doctors Second Medical Opinion and how can the service help?
• Best Doctors is a global organisation which brings the world’s leading medical expertise to you and your family, offering a second opinion when you need it most.
• Best Doctors has a unique and well-renowned network of medical professionals. Having such expertise at their fingertips and supported by a truly caring service team, is the reason why thousands of people around the world turn to Best Doctors when they need it most.
• Best Doctors can help you with those questions that are likely to be racing around your mind if you were diagnosed with a serious illness.
An in-depth review of your medical files will be conducted by a Best Doctors medical specialist to help verify your diagnosis and treatment options. The process can reduce potentially serious complications that can result from a misdiagnosis, and help you and your treating doctor determine the proper course of action.
Best Doctors isn’t just for serious life threatening illness. You can use the service for any chronic or troubling ailments affecting your quality of life. Second Medical Opinion could prove invaluable. From migraines to heart conditions, this service could help you find the answers you need.
Access to the Best Doctors Second Medical Opinion service is through any protection policy with Aviva. All new life assurance, specified illness and income protection policies include access, at no additional cost.
The service is available to:
• you,
• your spouse / partner
• your children up to the age of 18 (or 23 if in full time education).
• your parents and your spouse’s / partner’s parents.
Best Doctors Second Medical Opinion can even be used for conditions diagnosed before you took out your Aviva policy.

Irish Life also offer a Medical Second Opinion service.

Irish Life have established a relationship with MediGuide, a company in the USA, who taps into these worldwide resources to organise a Medical Second Opinion from a leading medical centre.  Established in over 40 countries, MediGuide works with patients and their doctors to facilitate access to some of the world’s leading medical centres for review of their diagnoses and treatment plans.
MediGuide was founded in 1999. MediGuide offers the Medical Second Opinion service in over 40 countries giving access to the service 24/7, 365 days a year. MediGuide currently works with over 100 leading medical centres worldwide.
If you or someone in your extended family (children, spouse/partner, parents, spouse/partner’s parents) becomes seriously unwell, you can have an independent review of your diagnosis from one of a range of leading medical centres around the world, including Harvard Medical School’s Teaching Hospital and London’s King’s College Hospital. MedCare is available on Protection plans started with Irish Life from 2014 onwards (excluding Simple Life Cover and Over 50s) and covers any medical condition.

Important information about MedCare

Any contact you make with MediGuide around the Medical Second Opinion service will be directly with MediGuide itself. Irish Life does not provide this service and have no involvement in the Medical Second Opinion service. We have no access to your medical records or the Medical Second Opinion that MediGuide provides, which is an independent and confidential service.
MediGuide is independent from Irish Life and we accept no liability for the service. Your access to the MediGuide Medical Second Opinion service is subject to MediGuide’s terms and conditions. In the future, we may change the service provider we use for MedCare. We may also withdraw access to this service.

Important information about Best Doctors
Best Doctors provides an expert Second Medical Opinion service available at no extra cost with new protection policies taken out with Aviva. The service is available to your customer and certain family members. Aviva may withdraw this service at any time. If we withdraw the Best Doctors Second Medical Opinion service, we’ll write to notify policyholders at least 31 days in advance of the removal of the service. Best Doctors Second Medical Opinion is not a regulated financial service.
Best Doctors Second Medical Opinion is not a regulated financial service.

Please note neither Aviva or Irish Life can guarantee the ongoing availability of the second opinion medical service.

If you have any questions about the ability to avail of this invaluable service, please contact us at 053 9233640.