Cancer is top priority for Private Medical Insurance (PMI) cover among employees

Results from a study conducted by UK patient group Beating Bowel Cancer show that over two thirds of policy holders would take action if their policy did not adequately cover them for cancer treatments not available on the NHS. Policy holders reported that they would change policies, pay a premium to include cancer treatments, or even encourage their employer to change policies.

Cancer ranked as the most important disease to be covered by private health insurance, with 91% of respondents rating it as important. Similarly, access to drugs not available on the NHS was also important for 8 out of 10 respondents; however, 51 per cent were not aware whether their policy actually covers these drugs. Alarmingly, the study by Beating Bowel Cancer showed that over half of UK private health insurance holders (51 per cent) have never read their policies and may be shocked to discover that they are not necessarily covered for the duration of cancer treatment.

We are in a two-tier healthcare system for cancer treatment, and although more private healthcare providers are offering cancer cover, many policies cap the provision, cutting this lifeline to patients at a potentially critical time explained Hilary Whittaker, Beating Bowel Cancer Chief Executive. ìIf policyholders do not know the details of their healthcare package, they are likely to be shocked when they try to claim for treatmentî.

The Beating Bowel Cancer study found that employees with PMI cover provided through the workplace rate PMI as the second most important employer-provided benefit after a pension. In addition, more than six out of ten individuals (65 per cent) looking for a new job think it is important for the new employer to offer PMI.

ìProviding a comprehensive healthcare package for your employees, and clearly communicating what it entails is not only a great advantage during recruitment, but also a way to demonstrate to employees how much they are valuedî said Howard Donovan, Total Pay Manager at Xerox. ìAt Xerox we take the health of our employees very seriously, and are committed to offering comprehensive cover, that gives our employees peace of mind regarding financial issues during periods of distress ñ especially if they are battling with cancer.î

Some of the latest cancer drugs that have been licensed in the UK are only readily available through private health insurance. This issue is especially pertinent for those affected by bowel cancer, where the two latest biological treatments which can significantly extend patient lives are not routinely available on the NHS, as they were not recommended by NICE on cost-effectiveness grounds.

Beating Bowel Cancer is calling for all PMI holders to review their cancer cover, and recommends that employers work with their PMI provider to give employees clear information about the level of cancer cover in the companyís PMI package. Beating Bowel Cancer has developed a check-list of key questions to ask providers, to ensure PMI cover meets employeesí expectations. These include:

Does the company policy give access to drugs licensed in the UK but not available on the NHS?

How long are employees covered for cancer treatment?

Are employees covered for cancer if it comes back?

For how long will employees be able to receive the cancer drugs recommended by their consultant?

When would cancer be characterised as ëchronicí or ëincurableí, and how does the company policy cover employees for that?

Bowel cancer patients can visit Beating Bowel Cancerís website, where they can download relevant information about accessing treatment options: www.beatingbowelcancer.org

ëTreating Bowel Cancer: Your Pathwayí
ëCampaigning and Raising Awareness Guideí