MetLife ChildShield children’s insurance review – How it works

4 min Read Published: 15 Jan 2024

MetLife ChildShield children's insurance - how it worksWhat is MetLife ChildShield insurance?

The MetLife ChildShield insurance covers your children in case they suffer broken bones, require hospital admission or are diagnosed with a serious illness while also providing access to virtual GP services and wellbeing support. This insurance policy integrates some of the benefits that are otherwise available separately with critical illness insurance, health insurance and fracture cover.

How much does Metlife ChildShield insurance cost?

ChildShield insurance covers all of your children with one policy at one price from birth until they reach age 22 even if they are not living with you. You must have at least one child under the age of 17 when you purchase the policy. Policies can be purchased by each parent so that in the event of a claim each policy will pay out, increasing the amount that can be claimed overall. Policy premiums are paid monthly by Direct Debit from a UK bank account.

Metlife ChildShield Insurance options:

  • Standard MetLife ChildShield insurance - £6 per month
  • Enhanced MetLife ChildShield Plus insurance - £11 per month
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How does MetLife ChildShield insurance work?

ChildShield insurance will cover all your children including stepchildren and children who no longer live within the same household. The policy provides reasonably affordable peace of mind in the event that a child:

  • Breaks a bone
  • Requires hospitalisation
  • Is diagnosed with a serious illness

ChildShield cover will pay a cash sum of money based on the specific event that occurs as follows.

ChildShield insurance benefits

Major broken bones Minor broken bones Hospitalisation Serious illness
What is covered?^
  • Arm
  • Ankle
  • Back
  • Hip
  • Mandible
  • Leg
  • Neck
  • Pelvis
  • Shoulder
  • Skull (not including the facial bones or ear bones)
  • Ear
  • Face
  • Any other broken bone that is not a major broken bone
  • General hospitalisation of at least 24 hours up to 90 days
  • Intensive care unit admission of at least 24 hours up to 90 days
  • Bacterial meningitis
  • Type-1 diabetes
  • Rheumatic fever
  • Burns
  • Paralysis
  • Cancer
  • Benign brain-tumour

^exclusions and limitations may apply and are explained in the terms and conditions

ChildShield insurance benefits - cover amount

Child event Cash sum paid under ChildShield Standard Cover - £6/month Cash sum paid under Enhanced ChildShield Plus Cover - £11/month
Broken bone - minor £100 £200
Broken bone - major £300 £600
General hospital admission £50 per every 24 hours £100 per every 24 hours
Intensive care unit hospitalisation £150 per every 24 hours £300 per every 24 hours
Serious illness diagnosis £5,000 £10,000

ChildShield additional benefits

These supplementary benefits provided by MetLife with ChildShield cover are available without making a claim against the policy and can provide access to support 24/7 all year round that can help you overcome the obstacles of wait times and access to NHS services.

Benefit How it works
GP24
  • Access to virtual GP service
  • Registered GPs
  • Worldwide access
  • 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year
Wellbeing Support
  • Access to the Wellbeing Support Centre provided by Health Assured
  • Speak to counsellors, legal advisers, and nurses
  • 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year

Reasons to consider children's insurance

Children's insurance helps parents to prepare for events that could be costly and difficult to navigate with health and wellbeing support built in.

If your child were to break a bone or if they were to be hospitalised, it could mean taking time away from your daily commitments. A cash sum could allow parents to focus on the immediate needs of their children without worrying about the additional cost.

Money paid from a child insurance policy could help to reduce the financial impact of children having accidents or suffering an illness and the extra funds could help to :

  • Replace lost income
  • Pay for travel and accommodation
  • Pay for childcare
  • Pay towards private medical treatment

Alternative insurance to cover your children

  • Children's private health insurance - a child-specific private medical insurance that offers children access to private medical treatment and care but you can also add children to an adult private health insurance policy.
  • Children's critical illness insurance - extensive serious illness cover that pays a cash lump sum of up to £100,000 for dozens of medical conditions that affect children.

How to buy the best children's insurance

Insurance is often about preparing for the unexpected so it can be helpful to speak with a specialist insurance broker to work out how each type of children's insurance works and how much it will cost before you make your decision.

LifeSearch* is one of the leading personal insurance brokers in the UK but it has, along with nine other brokers, provided MetLife with feedback to create the ChildShield policy based on conversations with customers who have children. The advisers at LifeSearch have access to a wide variety of insurance policies provided by insurance companies across the UK to suit your needs. You can arrange a call with an adviser* who will provide free advice and guidance and support you in your application for the insurance policy that you choose. There is no obligation to buy the insurance that is recommended to you but as a Money to the Masses reader, you will receive up to £100 cashback if you choose to do so.

Alternatively, if you are keen to buy private medical insurance which provides access to private medical care in the form of diagnostics, treatment and consultations then you should contact Howden Life & Health* which is a leading private medical insurance broker with access to dozens of private medical insurance options across the market. As a Money to the Masses reader you will receive £100 cashback when you arrange your private health insurance too - offer ends 31st July 2024.

 

If a link has an * beside it this means that it is an affiliated link. If you go via the link, Money to the Masses may receive a small fee which helps keep Money to the Masses free to use. The following link can be used if you do not wish to help Money to the Masses and do not wish to qualify for the cashback referred to in the article - LifeSearch, Howden Life & Health