Hello there.   First, I wish you well with the surgery and subsequent treatment.

The critical illness policy is good to have but make sure you have a close and careful read of what it does/will or not cover as they can be a bit sneaky in the small print and exclude certain conditions or circumstances.   Don't assume that what you may consider to be 'critical' is necessarily reflected in their terms and definitions.   I had a CI policy (although separate to the life insurance) that was a little restrictive on the conditions under which it would pay out as it tended to focus more on inoperable, terminal or life-limiting conditions for the most part rather than those cases with high rates of expected recovery/treatment.   You get what you pay for.  However there was sufficient give in their terms that enabled the claim I put in (several weeks after the operation to be sure) to result in a full payout.

On the fee, some companies will charge a small fee - other won't.

Good luck.  :)