Protection can be critical - Sun Life Financial introduces enhancements to Critical Illness Insurance

Includes first-in-Canada coverage for Acquired Brain Injury and
    ground-breaking long-term care conversion optionTORONTO, Feb. 3 /CNW/ - For Canadians who want to protect their savings
from the financial impact of a serious illness, Sun Life Financial has taken a
leadership role with innovative enhancements to its Critical Illness Insurance
product that are unique to the industry.Canadian first - Acquired Brain Injury covered by Critical Illness
    Insurance

    -   Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is damage to the brain that occurs after
        birth by traumatic injury, anoxia (absence of oxygen), or
        encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). Known as the "invisible
        disability" it can result in prolonged or permanent impairments such
        as short-term memory loss.
    -   Sun Life has researched this illness for more than a year, and
        covering this illness is an important advancement in the protection
        provided by Critical Illness Insurance.
    -   Working with its medical team and partners who have experience with
        ABI plans in the UK, Sun Life developed a policy definition and
        insurance coverage guidelines for this illness.

    Ground-breaking long-term care conversion option

    -   The long-term care conversion option allows customers who have
        Critical Illness Insurance to convert this coverage to Long-Term Care
        Insurance (LTCI). Their future insurability for Long-Term Care
        Insurance is protected and guaranteed, regardless of their health.
    -   The Long-Term Care policy also offers an unlimited benefit period,
        which means lengthy claims are covered.
    -   If the Critical Illness Insurance policy includes the return of
        premium on cancellation option, customers can receive the amount they
        have paid in Critical Illness Insurance premiums when they convert to
        the Long-Term Care product."Today's markets have caused Canadians to think about their savings in a
new light, and finding ways to protect the money they've worked so hard to
save is higher on the list than ever before," said Kevin Strain, Senior
Vice-President, Individual Insurance and Investments, Sun Life Financial
Canada. "Protection from volatile markets is a high priority, but a serious
illness can have an impact on your finances and Critical Illness Insurance is
another way to provide increased financial security."Additional product enhancements include:
    -   Loss of independent existence - an inability to care for oneself
        either physically or as a result of cognitive decline - has been
        added as an optional benefit. This is to protect against events not
        included in covered illnesses, but that prevent someone from carrying
        out the routine activities of daily living.
    -   Sun Life offers the most comprehensive stand-alone policy available
        for children, with the minimum issue age lowered to 30 days old. This
        unique plan "grows" with the child, with automatic loss of
        independent existence and Acquired Brain Injury coverage at age 18,
        and automatic return of premium beginning as early as age 25.According to Sun Life Financial's Canadian Unretirement Index, nearly
two-thirds of working Canadians between the ages of 30 and 65 are not very
confident they will be able to take care of their medical expenses during
retirement. With Critical Illness Insurance, customers achieve a greater sense
of financial security knowing the extra costs associated with the life
changing experience of suffering a critical illness are covered. Different
levels of coverage are available, from four basic illnesses - cancer, heart
attack, stroke, and coronary artery bypass surgery - to coverage for 22 or 24
illnesses. For more information on Critical Illness Insurance, Long-Term Care
Insurance and other protection, retirement and investment solutions, visit
www.sunlife.ca.

    About Sun Life Financial

    Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services
organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth accumulation
products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Chartered in
1865, Sun Life Financial and its partners today have operations in key markets
worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland,
Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China and Bermuda. As of
September 30, 2008, the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets
under management of CDN$389 billion.
    Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and
Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under ticker symbol SLF.