Thousands of cancer sufferers in the UK, along with those who are no longer suffering from the disease, are being ill-treated by the travel insurance industry with inflated premiums and insensitive service .
Some cancer patients are being charged double or even triple the cost of their holiday for travel cover, according to research for Macmillan Cancer Support . Others are being asked "tactless and insensitive" questions in relation to their illness when inquiring about insurance options.
The support group, one of the leading cancer charities, conducted a study that found two in every five cancer patients had been quoted high travel insurance premiums, while 6 per cent had been refused insurance altogether resulting in many going on holiday without sufficient cover .
The Macmillan group said one respondent, whose husband has a rare form of cancer but is not terminally ill, was asked questions such as; "Is your husband going to die?" and: "How long has he got?"
Macmillan Cancer Support has now launched its ‘Recovered But Not Covered’ campaign to help people who have had, or have cancer, find the best deal .
Ayesha Owusu-Barnaby, the charity's head of campaigns commented, "Cancer is changing, and it looks like the insurance industry needs to move with the times. It has to recognise that not everybody with cancer is going to die."
"Hundreds of people contact Macmillan about travel insurance every month. They tell us they are being refused travel insurance or quoted massive premiums and they just don’t understand why."
"Most people live long and active lives after cancer and that's why Macmillan is calling on the travel insurance industry to look again at the risk posed by people affected by cancer and improve the deal offered to them," he added.
Last week Cancer Research UK released figures that showed on average a patient with cancer now has a 46.2 per cent chance of being alive, 10 years after being diagnosed with the disease, compared to 23.6 per cent 30 years ago.
The Disability Discrimination Act made it illegal for someone with cancer to be discriminated against in terms of access to services, facilities and goods .
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