Macmillan Cancer Support responds to the Financial Conduct Authority’s feedback

Originally published: 25 June 2018

Responding to the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Call for Input response, Macmillan Cancer Support’s Executive Director of Policy and Impact Fran Woodard said:

“We welcome commitments today from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to work with providers to make it easier for people with cancer to find suitable travel insurance, but we are disappointed that these proposals do not go even further. Improved signposting will only benefit people with cancer if, at the end of it, there is fair and affordable cover available.

“As holidaymakers look forward to a summer break, thousands who have ever had cancer — even ten years ago — continue to be penalised by ‘one-size-fits-all’ policies. People with cancer deserve the same chance to enjoy a relaxing, restorative time away without worrying about extortionate premiums or travelling without cover. Yet, our support line has already had nearly 900 calls about travel insurance since January.

“No two cancer experiences are the same and if travel insurers want to meet the need for people with cancer, they must update their oversimplified medical screening to reflect this. We are concerned that, despite these proposals, many will still be faced with limited choice and disproportionately high premiums.

“We look forward to working with the FCA and the insurance industry to ensure that these proposals are as effective as they can be for people with cancer. But insurance policies should be clear and fairly priced for everyone, and we will continue all our efforts to achieve this.”

-Ends-

Notes to editors

  • Macmillan’s free support line has had nearly 900 calls about travel insurance since January.

Statistics

Our survey of more than 2,000 people who have had cancer, which was conducted by YouGov last year, revealed:

  • An estimated 8,500 British holidaymakers (2%) who applied for travel insurance following a cancer diagnosis were unable to get a policy despite the fact that they were diagnosed with cancer a decade ago.

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We are the Media and Public Relations team at Macmillan Cancer Support. Get the latest news here: https://medium.com/macmillan-press-releases-and-statements

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