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Travel insurance and cancer survivors
By Jeff Salway
It's not news that people who have suffered from cancer and other serious illnesses pay higher premiums for travel insurance. But insurers have now been accused by the Macmillan Cancer Support charity of treating ex-patients unfairly and charging them unjustifiably inflated premiums. We asked Nick Starling of the Association of British Insurers and Ayesha Owusu-Barnaby of Macmillan to give their views on whether insurers are profiteering from cancer survivors or merely reflecting the risks.
Insurers charge excessive premiums
Ayesha Owusu-Barnaby, head of campaigns, Macmillan Cancer Support, says:
Insurers fail to distinguish between people who have cancer and those who no longer have it and the latter are charged excessive premiums or refused cover altogether. But, as we understand it, under the Disability Discrimination Act, insurers cannot lawfully refuse to cover people.
Cancer is changing - more people are being diagnosed, but at an earlier stage, meaning they are more likely to survive. So a growing number of people who have had cancer need travel insurance, but the industry has been too slow to recognise that things are changing.
Some of the premiums they charge are extortionate. We've spoken to ex-cancer patients who have been quoted £1,500 for travel cover while their travel partner has been quoted £50 for the same trip.
These people have also been upset by insensitive questioning when they've called to get quotes, such as remarks about how much longer they have to live - and this when the cancer treatment has long since finished.
This approach means people are going on holiday without cover, but since travel insurance is not just about illness - it also covers things like lost baggage and cancellations - they are at a significant disadvantage.
Insurers are not profiteering
Nick Starling, director of general insurance, Association of British Insurers, says:
We recognise that it's a very serious issue and we are acting on Macmillan's concerns. Travel insurance is designed to give maximum cover at an affordable price and most people get that. But not everyone is a 'standard fit' and that's why there are policies designed for them.
There are several specialist providers who work on a case-by-case basis for people who've had cancer. They're not plucking premiums out of thin air, they're guided by medical thinking and insurers invest in sophisticated medical screening techniques. Premiums will always reflect risk but the industry is continually reviewing practices to keep up-to-date with medical advances.
Companies also invest in training staff to deal with queries as sympathetically as possible. Some questions they ask can be intrusive, but that can't be avoided. There are cases where people are refused cover and this is because companies can't guarantee insurability. Unfortunately, people with terminal cases are unlikely to get cover.
Insurers are not profiteering out of other people's misfortune. But we recognise that we need to make sure people don't feel excluded from travel insurance when in fact there are options available.
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