Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the rising costs of critical illness insurance and the common question of whether to include death benefits, analyzing the cost-effectiveness of policies with and without death coverage [2][21]. Group 1: Cost Comparison - A 30-year-old female's annual premium for a critical illness policy with a coverage of 500,000 yuan is 6,250 yuan without death benefits and 12,060 yuan with death benefits, showing a difference of 5,810 yuan [3][23][24]. - Over a 30-year payment period, choosing the policy with death benefits results in an additional total payment of over 170,000 yuan, which is deemed not cost-effective [4][26]. Group 2: Claim Scenarios - In the event of a critical illness claim, both policies pay out 500,000 yuan, and the contract terminates, meaning death benefits are no longer valid [5][25]. - If no critical illness occurs and the insured passes away, the policy with death benefits pays out 500,000 yuan, while the policy without it may have little to no cash value left, effectively resulting in a loss for the policyholder [5][27]. Group 3: Insurance Purpose and Strategy - The primary purpose of purchasing critical illness insurance is to secure funds in case of severe illness, and it is suggested that individuals should consider separate policies for critical illness and life insurance for better financial management [6][28]. - It is emphasized that only one type of claim (either critical illness or death) can be paid out per policy, as per the contract terms [7][29][30]. Group 4: Budgeting and Coverage - Choosing a policy without death benefits can save 30%-50% of the budget, allowing for better allocation towards other essential insurance types like medical, term life, and accident insurance [12][34]. - A critical illness policy without death benefits can provide a higher coverage amount, such as 1 million yuan for a premium of 12,000 yuan, effectively doubling the coverage [13][35]. Group 5: Risk Management Perspective - The article argues that focusing on the low probability of dying without a critical illness should not overshadow the higher probability of facing a critical illness, which is the primary risk to be insured against [14][36]. - It is advised that individuals should prioritize increasing their critical illness coverage above 500,000 yuan before considering death benefits [17][39].