Health insurer Aviva has announced that it is enhancing its critical illness coverage with the addition of new conditions.

With effect from today, new critical illness customers will be eligible for partial payments for two forms of early cancer, namely low grade prostate cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ, an early form of breast cancer, for which a lump sum of up to £20,000 may be paid out.

The partial payments form an additional benefit, separate from the main policy, meaning that critical illness coverage remains in effect should the policyholder need to claim help later.

A number of other enhancements have moved Avivas critical illness coverage beyond the threshold necessary for ABI plus status, including more comprehensive coverage, increasing the number of people able to claim.

Aviva is also the first insurer to make Multiple Sclerosis (MS) an ABI plus condition, by reducing the amount of time needed for continuous symptoms to be in evidence from six to three months.