Furthermore, if a cancer condition is diagnosed within the first 60-90 days of policy (depending on insurance company), the claim is usually rejected. Above that, cover is cancelled in almost all contracts if the policy holder fails to seek medical advice or culpably fails to follow it.
To make matters even more complicated, if you live in the UK, you might find coverage for cancer a rather debated and atypical subject. According to a study conducted by Mercer, UK, one in three people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their life. What really bothers is that many new and thus expensive treatments are still unavailable through the NHS. Under such circumstances it not something out of the ordinary when companies target cancer cover as an area of focus within the field of private healthcare.
Regardless endless improvements, ambiguity still governs over various issues, very few of them being covered in some cases.
A study recently conducted, revealed that, out of 11 major companies that offer private medical insurance with cancer coverage, there is no clarity on the matter and no standard to which a potential policy holder might refer to.
There is little doubt that cancer is, nowadays, an expensive illness to control and get rid of. A study conducted by the National Institute of Health in the United States, the overall expense in relation to cancer was $212 billion, out of which $89 billion were the total direct medical costs and another $18 billion were losses due to lack of productivity.
As such, the insurance companies’ claims of the necessity of cancer insurance to be treated separately from generic health insurance appear to be founded on a solid base.
However, is that enough of a reason for a normal citizen to go right into signing a policy? It is true that one of the most common arguments heard against cancer policy is “If I already have health insurance policy that covers cancer treatments as well, why would I need a separate policy dedicated specifically to cancer?” The answer is that policies specifically dedicated to cancer usually offer a better coverage for treatments. Keep in mind that, while the mechanism of cancer are somewhat known, the trigger for this disease is not yet fully known. Different new and experimental treatments, as well as participation in trials for drugs that might improve the standard of living for cancer patients, are usually not available in standard health insurance policies.
Another point to take into consideration is that, while most diseases have prompted for a standard response around the world, response which is usually available in all healthcare centers that one might visit (with very few exceptions), standardized treatment or alleviation for cancer is still in its incipient phase. Travel mandated by different treatment methods at different healthcare centers is not covered by the standard health insurance policies.
Although the decision is ultimately yours, cancer coverage should not be regarded as a replacement for health insurance or disability insurance, but an addition to them. A specialized annex, if you like. Think at it as a very helpful extra to have in case you are diagnosed with almost any form of cancer and you need any special surgical procedure. It will be covered by the insurance, while, at the same time, not inflating your standard healthcare insurance and not ending its coverage period. Because of this, even though cancer insurance is still somewhat controversial, it is a good idea to take on such a policy, especially if you have a family history of the disease. |
