Voya Critical Illness Insurance: ReliaStar Plans, Cancer Rules and Real Employer Examples

Key Takeaway

Voya critical illness insurance is a group, limited-benefit plan issued by ReliaStar Life Insurance Company (ReliaStar Life Insurance Company of New York in New York) and sold through employers, that pays a cash lump sum when you are diagnosed with a covered illness such as cancer, heart attack or stroke. You sign up during open enrollment at work, the employer plans we reviewed asked no health questions, and the money adds to your health plan rather than replacing it.

2027 by the Numbers

Plan-year check: Voya posts a separate benefit summary for each employer group, and the percentages, amounts and riders change from one group to the next. The certificate of insurance and any riders govern the payout, so the summary for your own employer and plan year is the document to read before enrolling.

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Invasive cancer. Abnormal cells that have grown into normal tissue nearby or spread elsewhere. Every summary we reviewed pays this at 100% of your benefit amount.

Non-invasive cancer. Tumors that have not invaded nearby tissue, usually called in situ or stage 0, such as DCIS. Pays 25% or 50%, depending on the group.

Limited skin cancer. Basal cell, squamous cell and thin melanoma. Pays 10%, and several plans allow it only once per calendar year with a 10-times lifetime cap.

Thicker melanoma. In a 2025 ReliaStar certificate, melanoma with a Breslow thickness over 0.8 mm counts as invasive cancer and pays at the full 100% level.

Read the certificate: Recurrence rules sit in the certificate of coverage, not the one-page summary. The key terms are different diagnosis, total maximum benefit amount and the time gap between diagnoses.

Health screening benefit. $50 to $100 a year for the employee in the summaries we read, with similar amounts for a spouse and a smaller capped amount for children.

Infectious condition rider. Added in July 2022. Can pay on diagnosis of a covered infection and after a hospital stay of at least 20 hours. Not sold in New York.

Mental illness rider. Added in August 2023 for covered mental illness and neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD and autism. Not in all states.

Enhanced benefit option. Also from 2023. An employer can add an extra percentage on top of the 100% base payment for a covered condition, such as cancer.

Elect portability in time. In the 2025 certificate we reviewed, you have 31 days after coverage would end to choose portability, and you must elect it before age 70.

Switch to direct billing. Several summaries say ported coverage stays under the same group policy, billed to you at the same rates.

Gather the diagnosis proof. For cancer, that usually means the pathology report and the date of diagnosis from your doctor.

Submit through Voya’s claims center. Voya’s site links to an online claims center for critical illness claims.

Company strength: AM Best affirmed a Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) with a stable outlook for ReliaStar Life Insurance Company and ReliaStar Life Insurance Company of New York in March 2025.

➤ Is Voya the same company as ReliaStar?

ReliaStar Life Insurance Company and ReliaStar Life Insurance Company of New York are Voya subsidiaries. ReliaStar issues the policy, and Voya Employee Benefits markets and services it, so your paperwork may show both names.

➤ Can I buy Voya critical illness insurance without a job that offers it?

We found no individual Voya critical illness policy sold directly to consumers. It is offered through employer groups.

➤ How much does Voya pay for stage 0 breast cancer?

Stage 0 cancers such as DCIS fall under carcinoma in situ, which paid 25% of the benefit in most summaries we read and 50% in one. On a $20,000 benefit, that would be $5,000 or $10,000.

➤ Will Voya pay again if my cancer spreads after an early diagnosis?

In the 2025 ReliaStar certificate we reviewed, non-invasive and invasive cancer are different diagnoses. That means an invasive diagnosis after an in situ payment can still qualify for its own benefit.

➤ Does Voya critical illness cover COVID-19?

Some groups list infectious disease requiring hospitalization, and one summary names COVID-19. It required a hospital stay of 5 or more days in a row, and it usually paid 25% of the benefit.

➤ What screenings count for the Voya wellness benefit?

Voya summaries list examples such as a mammogram, flu immunization, mental health screening and routine eye or dental exam. It pays once per calendar year per covered person, up to the plan’s stated amount.

➤ Does my Voya benefit drop when I turn 70?

Some Voya plans cut the benefit amount to 50% at age 70 while premiums stay the same. Your group summary or certificate will say whether yours does.

➤ Is there a waiting period before Voya coverage starts paying?

The 2025 certificate we reviewed listed no eligibility waiting period, but the illness must be diagnosed after your coverage start date. Some groups also apply a pre-existing condition limit of 6 or 12 months.

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Compare cancer insurance plans and cash benefits from several insurance companies in one call.

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