Can you afford to get ill or injured? Take our recovery quiz

If you get sick or injured, your paid sick days alone may not be enough to see you through your recovery. Are you financially prepared if the unexpected were to happen? Take our quiz and find out.

Sickness or injury can come out of nowhere. You’re left grappling with not just health concerns, but potentially also lost income and a pile-up of medical bills.

Consider this. In 2023, over 165,000 Australians were diagnosed with cancer¹ – with one in every two Australians expected to be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85 years². Heart diseases aren't far behind, with 1.32 million (or one in 20) Australians experiencing heart, stroke or vascular disease in 2022.³ What’s more, over 538,000 injuries were experienced by Australians in 2021–2022⁴. You can find out more in Zurich’s The Cost of Care report.

Unfortunately, the steps towards recovery can also strain your family's finances. These include the cost of treatment, the inability to work due to the illness or injury and the possibility that a family member might need to stop working to care for you.

So, where does your financial preparedness stand? To help you assess the strength of your financial safety net we’ve created a short quiz. It will take a minute, tops!

Your financial health check

1. Do you have savings in an easily accessible place that could cover three to six months of living expenses?
   Yes     No
   
   
2. Are you aware of what and how much your superannuation fund covers you for, such as total and permanent disability (TPD)?
   Yes     No
   
   
3. Do you have income protection insurance to cover a percentage of lost wages if illness or injury keeps you from working?
   Yes     No
   
   
4. Many common cancers can cost thousands to treat. Do you have either trauma cover or savings to meet your, or a family member’s, out-of-pocket medical costs in the event of an illness or an injury?
   Yes     No
   
   
5. Do you have a plan for managing your debts if you were unable to work for an extended period?
   Yes     No
   
   
6. If you were unable to work due to illness or injury, do you have family members who could provide care or financial support?
   Yes     No
   
   

What your score means

Give yourself 1 point for each question you answer ‘yes’.

5–6: It looks like you are well-prepared for the financial impact of a serious illness or injury. Great job!

3–4: You have made some steps towards setting up a financial safety net, but there are gaps. Consider reviewing your insurance and financial plans.

0–2: You may be at risk of financial hardship if you experience a serious illness or injury.

 

How to buy insurance from Zurich

There are two ways to buy insurance from Zurich.

If you’re unsure about the type and level of insurance coverage you need, a financial adviser can help you evaluate your needs and structure your insurance appropriately.

If you know exactly what you need, you can apply for simple life and income protection products directly with Zurich Ezicover. It’s easy to apply online. Get an online quote.

 

¹  Zurich, The Cost of Care Volume 2, p. 10
²  Zurich, The Cost of Care Volume 2, p. 11
³ Zurich, The Cost of Care Volume 2, p.39
⁴ Zurich, The Cost of Care Volume 2, p.82