Life Insurance For Cancer Patients

A current or previous cancer diagnosis doesn’t automatically mean you can’t get life insurance.

However, the options available can vary significantly depending on whether you’re currently receiving treatment or have completed treatment, as well as the type and stage of cancer, how long it has been since treatment and your wider health.

If you’re currently undergoing cancer treatment, some insurers may postpone an application until treatment has finished. If you’ve previously had cancer and are now in remission, more insurers may be willing to consider you, although premiums can sometimes be higher.

Quick Answer

It may be possible to get life insurance after cancer in the UK. Insurers assess applications individually, and one insurer may take a different approach from another. The type of cancer, treatment, stage or grade, time since treatment and your current health can all affect the outcome.

At Oportfolio Mortgages, our protection advisers can compare insurers and help establish which providers are more likely to consider your medical history before an application is made.

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Your Situation	What Might Happen?
Currently undergoing tests	An insurer may wait until there's a confirmed diagnosis
Currently receiving treatment	Some insurers may postpone consideration until treatment has finished
Recently completed treatment	Cover may be possible, but options can be more limited
In remission	More options may become available over time
Previous cancer diagnosis	Insurers can consider the type, stage, treatment and time since treatment
Existing life insurance from before diagnosis	Don't cancel it without checking the policy and taking advice

Can I Get Life Insurance After Cancer?

Yes, it may be possible to get life insurance if you currently have cancer or have previously had cancer, but the outcome will depend on your individual medical circumstances.

Insurers don’t all assess cancer in exactly the same way.

If You Are Currently Receiving Cancer Treatment

Obtaining new life insurance while you’re undergoing treatment can be more difficult.

An insurer may ask for additional medical evidence before deciding whether it can offer cover. Depending on your circumstances, it may offer terms, charge a higher premium, decline the application or postpone making a decision until treatment has finished.

A postponement is not necessarily the same as a permanent decline. It means the insurer may be willing to reconsider the application once more information is available or a period of time has passed.

If You Have Finished Cancer Treatment

If treatment has finished, insurers will usually want to understand what type of cancer you had, its stage and grade, the treatment you received, when treatment finished and your current health.

The amount of time since treatment can be important. For some cancers, the risk of recurrence reduces over time, which can affect how insurers assess an application.

If You Are in Remission

Being in remission can potentially increase the number of options available compared with applying during active treatment.

However, there isn’t one universal period after which someone automatically qualifies for life insurance. Different insurers use different underwriting criteria and every medical history is different.

This is why comparing insurers can be particularly important for someone with a previous cancer diagnosis.

How Do Life Insurers Assess a Previous Cancer Diagnosis?

Insurers don’t simply ask whether you’ve ever had cancer and make a yes-or-no decision.

They may consider factors including:

• the type of cancer;
• when you were diagnosed;
• the stage and grade;
• treatment received;
• when treatment finished;
• whether the cancer has recurred;
• whether you’re still receiving medication or monitoring;
• your current health;
• your age and smoking status; and
• any other relevant medical conditions.

The insurer may also request additional medical evidence. This could involve obtaining information from your GP or specialist, and in some circumstances further medical assessment may be required.

The result can differ between insurers.

One provider might postpone an application while another may be prepared to offer cover, potentially with an increased premium.

This is one of the main reasons it can be useful to speak to a protection adviser before making multiple applications.

Can I Get Life Insurance After Breast Cancer?

It may be possible to obtain life insurance after breast cancer, but the insurer will need to assess your individual medical history.

Factors can include the type and stage of breast cancer, when you were diagnosed, treatment received, whether treatment has finished, ongoing medication or monitoring and how long you have been cancer-free.

For someone who has recently completed treatment, insurers may take a different approach from someone who has been in remission for several years.

There is therefore no single rule that applies to every breast cancer survivor.

If you’ve previously had breast cancer, a protection adviser can approach insurers whose underwriting criteria are more appropriate for your medical circumstances rather than simply submitting applications without first understanding how providers are likely to assess them.

Does Life Insurance Cover Cancer?

Life insurance and critical illness cover do different things.

A standard life insurance policy is primarily designed to pay out if the insured person dies during the policy term. It doesn’t normally pay a benefit simply because someone has been diagnosed with cancer.

If you already had valid life insurance before your cancer diagnosis, your existing policy may continue to provide cover, subject to its terms and the information provided when the policy was originally arranged. Critical illness cover is different.

Critical illness insurance can pay a lump sum following diagnosis of an illness covered by the policy. This can include cancer, although the cancer will need to meet the definition contained within the particular policy and different policies can have different terms.

Some life insurance policies may also include terminal illness cover, which can allow the life insurance benefit to be paid early where the policy’s definition of terminal illness is met.

If you already have life insurance or critical illness cover when you’re diagnosed with cancer, check the policy before making any changes or cancelling the cover.

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What If I Already Had Life Insurance Before My Cancer Diagnosis?

If you already have life insurance from before your cancer diagnosis, don’t automatically cancel it and apply for a new policy.

An existing policy may be valuable because replacing cover after a significant change in your health could be more difficult or more expensive.

Check your existing policy to understand:

• how much cover you have;
• how long the policy lasts;
• whether critical illness cover is included;
• whether terminal illness cover is included;
• who would receive the benefit; and
• whether the cover still meets your current mortgage and family needs.

If you’re considering replacing existing life insurance, make sure any new cover is fully accepted and suitable before cancelling the old policy.

A protection adviser can review your existing cover alongside any alternative options before you make changes.

Life Insurance Before Cancer Diagnosis

Taking out life insurance before a cancer diagnosis is usually much simpler. When applying, insurers assess your health based on the information available at that time. If you later develop cancer, your existing policy generally continues as normal, provided your application was accurate and honest. This is one of the reasons financial advisers often recommend arranging protection before any health issues arise. This highlights the importance of reviewing your protection regularly, particularly after major life events such as buying a home, getting married or starting a family.

Getting Life Insurance With Cancer

If you’re currently getting life insurance with cancer, be prepared for additional underwriting.

Insurers may ask for:

• Consultant reports
• Hospital letters
• Treatment summaries
• GP records
• Medication details
• Prognosis

While this may slightly increase the time taken to assess your application, it helps insurers make an informed decision based on your individual circumstances rather than assumptions.

Does Life Insurance Cost More After Cancer?

It can.

There isn’t a standard price for life insurance after cancer because insurers assess applicants individually.

The premium can be influenced by your:

• age;
• smoking status;
• type of cancer;
• stage and grade;
• treatment;
• time since treatment;
• current health;
• amount of cover; and
• policy term.

An insurer may offer standard terms in some circumstances or increase the premium where it considers the medical history represents additional risk.

Different insurers can also reach different decisions on the same medical history.

This means the cheapest insurer for someone without medical conditions won’t necessarily be the most appropriate insurer for someone who has previously had cancer.

Can You Get Life Insurance With Terminal Cancer?

Arranging new medically underwritten life insurance after a terminal cancer diagnosis can be extremely difficult because insurers assess the likelihood of a claim when considering a new application.

If you already have life insurance, however, the position can be very different.

Some existing life insurance policies include terminal illness cover, which may allow the life insurance benefit to be paid early if the policy’s definition of terminal illness is met.

Anyone with an existing policy should therefore check its terms or speak to the insurer or adviser before cancelling or changing anything.

Other existing protection, workplace benefits or financial support may also be relevant depending on your circumstances.

How Much Life Insurance Cover Do I Need?

Having a previous medical condition doesn’t change the fundamental question of how much financial protection your family needs.

The appropriate amount will depend on your circumstances.

You might want the policy to help cover:

• an outstanding mortgage;
• other debts;
• household expenditure;
• childcare costs;
• education costs;
• funeral expenses; or
• an ongoing financial contribution to your family.

For example, someone with a £400,000 mortgage and young children may have very different protection requirements from someone whose mortgage is nearly repaid and whose children are financially independent.

The aim shouldn’t simply be to obtain whatever cover an insurer will offer. It should be to establish the amount and type of protection you actually need, and then determine which insurers may be able to provide it.

Can We Get Joint Life Insurance If One Person Has Had Cancer?

It may be possible to arrange joint life insurance where one person has previously had cancer.

With a joint application, the insurer will assess the health and medical history of both applicants. A previous cancer diagnosis for one person may therefore affect the terms available, depending on factors such as the type and stage of cancer, treatment received, time since treatment and current health.

However, a joint policy isn’t always the most appropriate option.

Two separate life insurance policies may provide greater flexibility because each person has their own cover and policy terms. With many joint life insurance policies, there is normally one payout following the first death, after which the policy ends. With two individual policies, each person has their own separate cover.

For couples where one person has a more complex medical history, it can therefore be worth comparing joint cover with two individual policies rather than assuming a joint policy will be the best solution.

A protection adviser can compare the available options and help determine which structure is more appropriate for your circumstances.

How Should I Apply for Life Insurance After Cancer?

There are several things you can do before applying.

Have Your Medical Information Ready

It can help to know details such as your diagnosis, stage or grade, treatment received, when treatment finished, medication and follow-up arrangements.

Answer Medical Questions Accurately

Always answer the insurer’s questions fully and accurately. Missing or inaccurate information can cause problems with the policy or a future claim.

Don’t Assume Every Insurer Will Give the Same Answer

Underwriting criteria differ between insurers. A provider that isn’t suitable for one medical history may not represent the whole market.

Consider Speaking to an Adviser Before Applying

Rather than making several applications independently, a protection adviser can establish your circumstances and investigate which insurers are more likely to consider them.

This can be particularly useful where your medical history is more complex.

Oportfolio Insight

One of the biggest mistakes someone with a previous medical condition can make is assuming that one insurer’s decision represents the entire market.

Protection underwriting varies between providers.

The same medical history can therefore produce different outcomes depending on the insurer, the time since treatment and the information available.

This is why we believe the first step should be understanding the client’s medical history and protection needs rather than simply submitting an application to the cheapest insurer shown on a comparison table.

For someone who already has protection in place, we would also look carefully at the existing policy before recommending any change. Replacing valuable existing cover after a cancer diagnosis may not be straightforward.

The objective is not simply to find an insurer willing to offer something. It is to arrange suitable protection for the client’s mortgage, family and circumstances where appropriate cover is available.

Speak to a Protection Adviser About Life Insurance After Cancer

If you currently have cancer or have previously received cancer treatment, don’t assume that life insurance is automatically unavailable.

Different insurers assess medical histories differently, and the options available can depend on your diagnosis, treatment, time since treatment and current health.

At Oportfolio Mortgages, our protection advisers can review your circumstances, establish how much protection you need and compare insurers to identify providers whose underwriting criteria may be appropriate.

If you already have life insurance, we can also review your existing policy before you make any changes.

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FAQ: Life Insurance for Cancer Patients

Further Information

• Life Insurance Cover
• Do You Need Life Insurance for a Mortgage?
• Life Assurance vs Life Insurance
• Life Insurance For Cancer Patients
• Life Insurance for Self-Employed People
• Mistakes To Avoid When Buying Life Insurance
• What Type of Life Insurance Do I Need?
• Why Is Insurance Important? – Real Life Stories
• Critical Illness Cover
• What Is Critical Illness Cover? Your Questions Answered
• Income Protection vs Critical Illness Cover
• Income Protection Insurance
• Can You Get Income Protection If You Are Self-Employed?
• Do I Need Income Protection Insurance?
• Income Protection Case Study
• Review Your Existing Cover