Consumers misled about nature and extent of cancer care when buying PMI policies

-- Insurers attitude to cancer outdated and opaque

-- Greater transparency and consistency on PMI policies urgently needed

Private health insurers are failing to cover vital cancer treatment, says cancer information charity CancerBACUP. According to a report released today by the charity, most PMI policies do not cover cancer patients throughout the course of their illness. This means that funding for vital cancer treatment is being suddenly withdrawn, often at a critical time, when patients are at their most vulnerable.

Fourteen PMI insurers were surveyed by CancerBACUP. Of the eight who responded, which included all the UK’s largest insurers and covered more than two thirds of the PMI market, the charity found that only BUPA covers cancer patients throughout the course of their illness.

In a separate mystery shopping exercise, CancerBACUP discovered PMI sales staff are providing misleading information to consumers buying policies over the phone. Sales staff of three of the eight insurers reassured callers that their policies would pay out for any type of treatment, when in practice they do not. In other cases, sales staff from the same company gave out contradictory information.

Survey results contained in the report show that the majority of private health insurers are unclear about if and when cover will be withdrawn. Many use the phrase 'active treatment' to explain the extent of their cancer coverage, but the phrase is neither defined by them nor easily understood by consumers, leading to inconsistencies in cover.

"At present most insurers are able to be vague about the level of cover they provide and can decide whether or not to fund cancer treatments on a case by case basis", says Joanne Rule, Chief Executive for CancerBACUP. "This cannot be allowed to continue."

"The patients we speak to are shocked and distressed to discover that their private insurance company is refusing to pay for cancer treatment at a time when they are most vulnerable. We believe that insurance companies should fund cancer treatments which are given to slow progression of the cancer, when a cure is not possible. At the very least, they should make it crystal clear what they cover and what they do not so people can make an informed decision when purchasing private medical insurance."

CancerBACUP is calling on the Financial Services Authority to review the selling of private medical insurance, for which it will be responsible from 2005 onwards. It is also calling for PMI companies to communicate clearly and transparently the extent to which their policies cover cancer, and for them to adopt a more up-to-date, consumer-friendly definition of what is meant by active treatment for cancer. To reflect the growing number of treatments that can contain cancer for some time, even if they cannot cure the disease, the charity suggests this definition should be "treatment intended to control the growth of the cancer with the hope of prolonging good quality life". This would lead to consistency, clarity and a fairer deal for cancer patients, says the charity.

Notes to Editors:

-- CancerBACUP recommends that this press release is read in conjunction with the full report, Covering Cancer, which will be available below or by email from the CancerBACUP press office from today.

-- An Executive Summary of the report is also available by email from the CancerBACUP Press Office on request from today.

Covering Cancer Report

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For more information during office hours please contact Daisy O’Clee on 0207 920 7219 or
Jill Morrell on 0207 920 7220 or email jmorrell@cancerbacup.org.
For more information outside office hours please call 07973 308 346.

1) CancerBACUP is the only national charity that specialises in providing information on all types of cancer.

2) All CancerBACUP services are free to cancer patients, their relatives and friends.

3) CancerBACUP is part of the Department of Health Coalition for Cancer Information, which aims to ensure cancer information is of a high standard and widely accessible.

4) CancerBACUP Freephone Information Service: 0808 800 1234 (Mon-Fri, 9am-7pm). The charity’s interactive website can be found at http://www.cancerbacup.org.uk