Life insurance company paid out almost €1m in Sligo in ‘17
Cancer continues to be the main cause of death and illness in Sligo, according to insurers, Irish Life.
Its annual claims report has revealed that it paid out €1.1 million to customers and their families in County Sligo who were affected by illness and death during 2017.
The report provides a unique insight into the health of the nation, and includes a breakdown of the illnesses and conditions that led to payments by Irish Life of €187.8 million in total to 2,582 customers and their families affected by illness and death last year.
The claims report highlights that Irish Life paid out €970,000 for 14 Life Insurance claims in Sligo and €130,000 for seven Specified Illness Cover claims.
Cancer was once again the main cause of both Life Insurance and Specified Illness claims for people living in Sligo, followed by heart-related conditions as the second biggest cause of claims.
In 2017, the average age of Life Insurance claims in Sligo was 66 years, while the average age of those with Specified Illness claims was 40 years.
The claims report highlight- ed that the number of people dying from cancer in Ireland remains high, as over half of women (54%) and 38% of men died from cancer in 2017.
Heart-related conditions also feature as a main cause of death, with men five times more likely to die from a heart condition when compared to women.
Overall, prostate cancer was the leading cancer claim for men in Ireland (19%), followed by lung cancer and colon cancer. Breast cancer was the main type of cancer claim for women (39%), followed by colon cancer and ovarian cancer.