Cancer patients are being charged thousands of pounds for travel insurance despite being fit to fly, and now pressure is growing for the industry to make prices fairer. The charity Maggie's says regulators and the Government are “shirking responsibility” for the problem.
Labour MP Richard Burgon has tabled an early day motion in Parliament and has promised to continue pressing the issue when MPs return in September. His motion highlights concerns that cancer patients and survivors are routinely charged excessive premiums or refused cover altogether, despite being deemed fit to travel by NHS clinicians.
Right to Be Forgotten
The motion also calls for a renewed debate on introducing a UK Right to Be Forgotten so that cancer survivors are not left paying higher premiums long after treatment ends. The topic of travel insurance for people with cancer has been raised twice at the Treasury Select Committee, with questions directed to the Financial Conduct Authority and senior figures in the insurance industry, but little progress has been made.
Personal experience
Costs for travel insurance for people with cancer vary massively. As someone with incurable bowel cancer, I was told it would cost approximately £2,000 for a year's travel insurance after I was diagnosed in 2023, compared with just under £40 if I did not have a long-term illness.
During enquiries for this article, a company that specialises in insurance for people with health conditions said it could not insure me because I do not have a prognosis about how long I have left to live, even though my medical team say I am fit enough to go on holiday.
Charity and MP respond
Maggie's has written to the economic secretary to the Treasury, Lucy Rigby, to prompt the Government into action. Maggie's chief executive Dame Laura Lee said: “While we know there are specialist providers that offer better options for people with cancer, too often people are left overpaying because of the dominance of the key players in the industry.”
“For years now, Government departments and industry regulators have shirked responsibility for the problem and not even considered working together to find a solution. Our ignored calls for action demonstrate that this shirking is going to continue.”
“Consequently, people with cancer, and those with a history of cancer, are being refused insurance and denied the opportunity to travel, to visit family abroad, or simply to experience the world after facing the challenges of a cancer diagnosis.”
“We urgently need joined-up action that puts people with cancer first and finds an adequate solution to this continuing issue.”
Richard Burgon became aware of the issue when he visited the Maggie's Centre for Yorkshire at St James's Hospital in Leeds. He said: “It's heartbreaking when you hear about it, and it's really completely unjustifiable. I think the Government might need to step in if the insurers don't do the right thing.”
“More humanity needs to be shown towards people with cancer, and more compassion and more empathy, by these very profitable travel insurance companies. The horror that people must feel when they hold on to the idea of going on holiday, and then see that they're being priced out of it, is absolutely horrific.”
“To me, that's unconscionable. I think these insurance firms need to look at this again from a matter of conscience and, if they won't, I think the Government might have to find some way to act.”
Industry response
An Association of British Insurers spokesperson said: “We know how important holidays can be for people living with cancer and other medical conditions, and insurers want to help people travel with confidence. Unfortunately, people with existing medical conditions may be more likely to need treatment overseas, which can be incredibly expensive. Insurers will take that risk into account alongside other factors when considering what cover they can offer. However, if an insurer can't offer cover, they will direct customers to specialist providers who can help.”
Maggie's centres
The Maggie's Centre in Mr Burgon's Leeds East constituency is one of 27 centres the charity has open in the UK, with more in development. The charity aims to eventually have 60 centres across the nation, one at each cancer centre, to provide free psychological, emotional and practical support for people with the disease.
