Top 5 critical illness claims (BenefitsPro)

One in three adults has some form of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association, and more than a million Americans have heart attacks each year. Cancer, based on Colonial Life claims statistics, makes up about 27% percent of the company’s critical illness claims. According to the American Cancer Society, 33% of women and 50% of men will develop cancer during their lifetime. Even though chronic kidney disease is one of the most common complications of diabetes, many doctors aren’t diagnosing kidney disease in their patients, according to a study by the National Kidney Foundation. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., killing more than 133,000 people each year, according to the National Stroke Association. Though it’s meant to reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease, coronary artery bypass surgery is on the list of top critical illness claims.