Extra cancer cover from insurers

THE days when a cancer diagnosis was a death sentence are long gone, as advancements in medical science now prolong and improve sufferers' quality of life.

But while the NHS now gives Herceptin to breast cancer sufferers in the early stages of their illness, patients are still being denied drugs such as Avastin, which treats bowel cancer, and the lung cancer drug Tarceva, because they are too costly.

Some insurers are tackling this problem. Western Provident Association (WPA) has brought out a policy called mycancerdrugs to pay for life-saving cancer drugs not available on the NHS. WPA's new stand-alone policy provides up to £50,000 lifetime benefit for advanced cancer drugs that have been licensed by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA).

Where the NHS declines to administer the drug, mycancerdrugs will fund the costs directly associated with administering the drug in the private sector up to the £50,000 lifetime benefit. The policy will charge a one-off annual fee based on your age - so a 50 year old will pay £50 a year, plus 5% insurance premium tax for non-smokers, and 10% for smokers.

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Julian Stainton, chief executive of WPA, says: "Mycancerdrugs helps fund the cost of advanced drugs where the NHS denies their use.

"For comprehensive private medical insurance a 40-something would have to pay around £800 to £1,000. A lot of people don't have that sort of money available, she adds."

However, there are limitations to WPA's policy. It is available only to the under-65s, and cannot be started after cancer has been diagnosed. People who have a parent or a brother or sister who died of cancer below the age of 60 are also excluded.

But those who do qualify will be entitled to a range of new drugs including Avastin, Erbitux, Tarceva and Velcade, which are almost impossible to obtain through the NHS. BUPA and PruHealth are other insurers with policies that will pay for advanced drugs licenced by EMA.

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BUPA offers a full refund for cancer diagnosis and treatment, irrespective of family history, and there are no limits for outpatient cancer treatments.

"We want to provide extensive cover for cancer patients and give them access to high quality cancer care at the same time," says BUPAs Fiona Harris.

20 September 2007 © Moneyextra.com

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