Being obsessed with soccer and life insurance, it was inevitable that I would blog some of the perils of being associated with a football mad spouse, or being caught up in a football debate. For the record, the FIFA world cup 2010 official body count stands at 79. Here are some of the events that lead to these fatalities.

• A Thai gunman shot and killed two of his countrymen when they make a racket at Italy’s first goal in the Italy  – Ghana game.
• In Ecuador, a soccer fan was terrified by his own power committed suicide after he correctly predicted that Ecuador would lose to Poland.
• Six deaths reported in Haiti, where two armed gangs battled over an electrical generator needed to watch the World Cup.
• A woman in China died after plummeting from the 17th story of her apartment building last Sunday, after an argument with her boyfriend, who wanted to watch the World Cup in the early morning hours. The boyfriend says she jumped. He swears
• An 18 year old Parisian reveller died after he fell off the top of a subway car he was riding.
• A 20 year old French woman from Lens died when her car crashed, as she leaned out the window in celebration.
• And a man is feared drowned in Lyon after he jumped off a bridge into the River Saone with a group of friends.
• Eleven Chinese people have died of what is now being called “World Cup Syndrome,” which consists of watching a match and keeling over and dying, usually of a heart attack. China remains the nation with the most World Cup deaths, all the more strange since the Chinese team did not even qualify.
• The deadliest event of the entire cup took place in Burundi, where seven people died after police hurled a grenade and opened fire into a crowd of celebrants who were setting off fireworks.
• In Thailand, yet another fan expired of heart failure while watching the final.
• And in Montpelier, the fifth French World Cup death was reported, when a young man was stabbed in the neck during an outdoor viewing of the France-South Africa game.
• In Italy, a 77 year old man fell while trying to attach a flag to a pole prior to the final game.
• A 30 year old member of the Italian crime gang Camorra was shot to death by a rival gang member’s riding motorbikes, as he came out of hiding to celebrate.

Without doubt, the number one killer during the World Cup is heart attacks, followed by murder, with over-zealous revellers (PC for intoxicated fans) a close second or third.

The only good news in all this, is that all the fatalities mentioned above, are insurable events.

The first ever cancer-only insurance policy in NZ is now available from online provider Pinnacle Life.

What is Cancer Cover?

Cancer Cover is a form of stripped-down trauma insurance.

Whereas trauma insurance typically covers as many as 30 different ailments and is expensive, Cancer Cover focuses on the most significant of these risks, being Cancer. To put this in perspective, over 85% of trauma claims paid out by insurers relate to just three conditions – cancer, heart attack and stroke – and if you break this down further, 80% of these claims relate to cancer.

Cancer Cover is part of Pinnacle Life’s bid to win younger, price-conscious policyholders from the big insurers who dominate in trauma insurance.

Why does Cancer Cover appeal to younger consumers?

Many of the conditions covered and paid for under trauma insurance are related to ageing… such as heart attacks, heart bypass surgery, stroke, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and chronic lung disease. Whilst there is obviously some risk associated with these diseases for any consumer, more and more people in their 20’s and 30’s just don’t see the value in paying to cover these conditions. They see them as extremely low risk.

Any stats to support this?

• Cancer is the leading cause of death in NZ, accounting for 30% of all deaths.
• 1 in 6 people will be diagnosed with cancer between the age of 30 and 64.
• For females the biggest cancer killer is breast cancer. All women have a chance of developing breast cancer at some point in their lives.
• Breast cancer accounts for 17% of all female cancer deaths and around 1 in 9 women in NZ will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some stage in their lives.
• For males, lung cancer is the highest killer – accounting for 21% of male cancer deaths. However, prostate cancer represents the highest incidence of male cancer – 25% of all male cancer cases.
• In 2005 (latest NZ stats that I can find online) there were 18,610 new registrations of cancer in NZ and 7,971 deaths. This means there were almost 11,000 more people living with cancer than the previous year.

Why is cancer different to other ailments such as heart disease?

Cancer doesn’t correlate with age to the same extent that many other ailments do… even the young and the fit are susceptible. Like super-cyclist Lance Armstrong (testicular cancer in his 20’s), Wallaby rugby player Julian Huxley (brain tumour), cancer doesn’t respect how young or healthy you are.  It just happens.

And if you’re unlucky enough to be diagnosed with cancer, the financial consequences can be severe. You may need to take time off work. Or you may need to remodel your lifestyle, or you may need to find cash for to fund cancer treatment or medication.

That’s where Cancer Cover comes in… affordable cover that pays a lump sum if you’re diagnosed with Cancer.

Is Cancer Cover more affordable for younger people?

Pinnacle’s cancer policy pays up to $250,000 if you’re diagnosed with cancer. The specialised scope of the cover can save a bundle in premiums. A 40-year-old non-smoker in good shape with limited history of cancer in the family buying the cancer cover would pay only $19 a month for $100,000 of cover… compared with $37.55 that you’d typically pay for trauma cover in NZ.

You can get cancer Cover online in less than 10 minutes… and if you click here to buy, some extra cover will be thrown in free…

PINNACLE LIFE today claimed another first in NZ… Cancer Cover… now available as a fully underwritten product instantly online.

Cancer Cover, as explained in this Stuff article, is a straightforward insurance policy that pays a cash lump sum if the insured person is diagnosed with cancer… simple as that!

With the purchase of a Cancer Cover policy, Pinnacle Life will donate the first three monthly payments to either the NZ Breast Cancer Foundation or the Prostate Cancer Foundation of NZ (depending on the gender of the person covered by the policy).

Cover up to $250,000 can be purchased immediately online, without a medical.

The policy is applied for and issued online in the same way that existing Life, Mortgage and Funeral products are offered on the PINNACLE LIFE website. The buying process from application to policy issue is fully automated using advanced electronic underwriting software developed by Intelligent Life Limited.  The on-line underwriting is supported by reinsurance giant Hannover Life Re of Australasia.

The entire application process takes less than 10 minutes after which applicants can see a draft version of their personalised policy document before committing themselves.  On payment, consumers are emailed their policy document instantly.

Whilst Cancer Cover is designed essentially for the under-45 consumer, it is available online to anyone aged 20 to 59.

Buying Cancer Cover is now as straightforward as buying an airline ticket… maybe even easier!

Today’s ‘instant serious illness cover’ follows the launch of instant Life Cover, instant Mortgage Cover and instant Funeral Cover by PINNACLE LIFE over the past 18 months.

See also Stuff article here.