Critical Illness Insurance
Enroll at work to get financial and emotional support during serious illness
Life doesn't pause when health issues arise, and the expenses can add up quickly—even with medical insurance. MetLife Critical Illness Insurance helps give you a sense of stability in moments of uncertainty by providing cash payments and specialized Claim Advocate assistance throughout the claims process.
Receive cash benefit payments. The cash payments are sent directly to you for qualifying events.
Use payment on anything, health-related or not. How you spend the payment is up to you—whether that's prescriptions, deductibles, co-pays, non-traditional treatments or everyday expenses.
Cash benefits for a wide range of covered illnesses1
- Cancer2
- Kidney Failure
- Heart Attack3
- Major Organ Transplant4
- Stroke5
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft6
- Alzheimer's Disease7
Coverage may vary by plan.
Critical Illness Insurance FAQs
Serious illnesses like cancer2, heart attack3, or stroke5 can bring unexpected financial and emotional strain. Even the best medical coverage can leave gaps—like deductibles, out-of-network costs, or reduced income while you're unable to work. Critical illness insurance provides financial support so you can focus on recovery and supporting your family.
Yes. You can enroll yourself and eligible family members during your enrollment period—as long as you're actively at work at the time.8
No. Coverage is guaranteed, regardless of your health.9 There are no medical exams or health questions—so enrollment is simple and hassle-free.
If a covered condition returns, your plan may pay an additional benefit (called a recurrence benefit), as long as an initial claim was already paid. Some conditions may have a waiting period between payments.10
During enrollment, choose the amount of Critical Illness coverage that's right for you. If you are diagnosed with a covered condition, you'll receive a cash benefit payment based on the plan you chose. This payment is made directly to you—not to a provider—and can be used for any expenses, including medical bills, deductibles, or everyday living costs.
Benefits are paid directly to you—not to doctors, hospitals or other healthcare providers. You can use the money however you choose, whether it's for medical bills, daily expenses, or added support during recovery.
Yes, you can take your coverage with you if you change or leave employers.11
Have confidence in your coverage
“Unexpected healthcare expenses can really affect the financial plans we make each year. This policy helped us recover some of those expenses when we make all efforts to live a safe and healthy lifestyle.”
-Accident Participant, 2026
“The claim process was easy, documents needed were straightforward, payment was timely. Being a cancer patient is hard & everything about care is complicated and expensive. This was the easiest process for any claim of any kind I've dealt with.”
-Critical Illness participant, 2026
“I had an unexpected hospital stay and the benefit was so helpful. This was an excellent customer service experience. The rep was informative and the process quick & easy to follow.”
-Hospital Indemnity participant, 2026
“The claim process was easy, documents needed were straightforward, payment was timely. Being a cancer patient is hard & everything about care is complicated and expensive. This was the easiest process for any claim of any kind I've dealt with.”
-Critical Illness participant, 2026
“This was the easiest claim process I have completed!”
-Critical Illness participant, 2026
“MetLife Hospital Indemnity Insurance has really helped us. We are a young couple in our 30s but in 2025 my husband was hospitalized 3 times… I feel confident and somehow secure that MetLife will pay me and I can use that to help pay my hospital bills.”
-Hospital Indemnity participant, 2026
Protect what matters
See how critical illness insurance provides financial reassurance on the road to recovery.