Recently, we received a submission from Ms. Chen, a long-time follower of Shenlanbao. In her letter, she shared her experience of being denied a critical illness insurance claim two years ago due to a misleading statement from her agent. It wasn’t until this year, with the assistance of our planner, that she successfully recovered the 300,000 yuan critical illness claim. Today, we’d like to share her story with you. The following content is based on Ms. Chen’s account, with minor edits for clarity.
I. My Critical Illness Insurance Claim Journey I never expected that a casual conversation with a Shenlanbao planner would reopen my critical illness insurance claim from two years ago. In 2022, I underwent thymoma resection surgery and immediately contacted my offline critical illness insurance agent to inquire about the claim. At the time, the agent told me that my condition didn’t meet the policy’s definition of a critical illness and therefore wasn’t eligible for a payout. Assuming the agent was correct, I didn’t verify the information further or file a claim, continuing to pay my premiums annually. Fast forward to September of this year, when my accident insurance was about to expire. I reached out to a Shenlanbao planner for advice on renewal. During our discussion, I mentioned my past illness, as many accident insurance policies now include health requirements. The planner asked for detailed information about my condition and forwarded my pathology report to their underwriting team. The final verdict confirmed that my B1-type thymoma was classified as a malignant tumor, meaning it fell under the critical illness coverage. This revelation reminded me of the unresolved claim from two years ago. I immediately shared the details with the planner, who encouraged me to file a claim with the insurer. She even cited recent cases where policyholders with similar conditions had successfully received payouts. I was initially concerned about the two-year gap, fearing the insurer might reject the claim. However, the planner assured me it was worth trying and offered her full support throughout the process. With the planner’s guidance, I bypassed the offline agent and submitted my claim directly through the insurer’s website. Within five days, the 300,000 yuan payout was deposited into my account, along with a refund of two years’ premiums. The moment I received the funds, I felt overwhelming gratitude. Despite the misfortune of falling ill, I was fortunate to have encountered Shenlanbao and its professional, dedicated planner. I’m also thankful for having secured insurance coverage early on.When it comes to purchasing insurance, I was relatively early to the game.
In 2014, I was in my early thirties, and my daughter had just been born. A friend who worked as an insurance agent recommended I buy a savings insurance and critical illness insurance for her. At the time, I knew little about insurance and had no idea whether these policies were good or not. I ended up paying the premiums for several years without fully understanding them. Everything changed in 2018. By chance, I came across an article by Shenlanbao on Zhihu. I discovered that it explained insurance clearly using tables—what was covered, what wasn’t, the advantages, and the drawbacks—making it easy for ordinary people like me to understand an insurance product. More importantly, Shenlanbao’s articles conveyed key principles, such as ‘combining the four major types of insurance to comprehensively mitigate risks,’ ‘prioritizing adults over children,’ and ‘focusing on health before wealth.’ These ideas helped me truly grasp the role of insurance. Over the next three months, I carefully studied all of Shenlanbao’s articles. Through this learning, I transformed from an insurance novice into the ‘insurance expert’ of my household, gaining clarity on what coverage my family needed and which products were suitable. After my research, I realized the critical illness insurance I had bought for my daughter was extremely poor value. It cost over 5,000 yuan annually for a mere 200,000 yuan coverage, required 20 years of payments, and was bundled with unnecessary add-ons. After careful consideration, I canceled the offline critical illness policy for my daughter. Instead, I purchased a new one with 500,000 yuan coverage for just over 1,000 yuan annually, valid until age 70. I also added a 300,000 yuan lifetime critical illness policy, along with a separate million-yuan medical insurance and accident insurance for her. Without increasing the total premium, my daughter’s critical illness coverage increased by more than four times, ensuring lifelong protection. I also secured comprehensive coverage for the entire family. My husband and I were equipped with all four major types of insurance, while my parents were enrolled in million-yuan medical and accident insurance. My parents, lifelong farmers, originally had no medical insurance. My biggest worry was that if they fell seriously ill, our family wouldn’t have the funds to cover major medical expenses. Although they now have New Rural Cooperative Medical Insurance to offset some costs, serious illnesses still involve significant out-of-pocket expenses for non-reimbursable drugs, which are often unaffordable for ordinary families. After purchasing million-yuan medical insurance for them, I finally felt at ease.Most of the insurance policies our family has purchased were recommended by Shenlanbao, as I knew they would be the most suitable and cost-effective products for us.
While some policies were not bought through the Shenlanbao platform, such as our family’s million-yuan medical insurance, which was part of the Good Health Insurance series, these were also products highly recommended by Shenlanbao at the time. The only exception was my critical illness insurance, which I purchased offline. I was aware that offline critical illness insurance policies are not as cost-effective, but my reasoning was that since I am the most knowledgeable about insurance in our family, I could handle all the documentation and claims if anyone fell ill. However, if something happened to me, no one else would know what to do, so I wanted a professional to assist with the claims process. Unfortunately, this decision led to an unreliable agent, resulting in a delay of over two years for the 300,000 yuan critical illness claim I was entitled to. In contrast, the online insurance claims process was much smoother. Three: The Claims Process for My Father and Me Two years ago, when I was hospitalized for thymoma, the total cost was over 60,000 yuan. After reimbursement, I had to pay nearly 50,000 yuan out of pocket. At that time, the offline critical illness insurance did not pay out, while the online million-yuan medical insurance claim was processed smoothly. After deducting the 10,000 yuan deductible, almost all treatment costs, including from 30 days before and after hospitalization, were reimbursed, leaving me with minimal out-of-pocket expenses. This year during the National Day holiday, a revealed, requiring minimally invasive surgery. After, the cost was only slightly over 2,000 yuan, which was also covered by the online million-yuan medical insurance. Additionally, when my father was hospitalized for pneumonia, he was worried about the financial burden on the family. Fortunately, I had previously purchased million-yuan medical insurance for him, and all expenses were reimbursed. Seeing the claim payment brought him great relief. Through these experiences, I’ve found online claims to be incredibly efficient and convenient. As long as the claim meets the policy terms, the payout is quick, usually within days of application. Four: Final Thoughts The delayed 300,000 yuan critical illness claim this year felt like an unexpected windfall. Initially, I planned to deposit it in the bank, but with current low interest rates and limited investment options in my small city, I explored. Finding it relatively safe with decent returns compared to savings, I used the idle funds to purchase an policy through Shenlanbao.Now, my life and work have returned to normal.
My story with insurance is well-known among friends and colleagues. They often consult me about insurance-related questions or purchases, and I always recommend Shenlan Insurance to them without hesitation. My personal experience has made me truly grateful for insurance and Shenlan Insurance, as they gave me the confidence to overcome challenges. I share this story today to raise awareness about the importance of having comprehensive insurance coverage and finding a professional, reliable insurance agent. Finally, I wish everyone who reads this story and their families good health and safety.
