Consumers underestimate the importance of income protection in supporting the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, LifeSearch has said.
Coinciding with breast cancer awareness month, which takes place in October, the insurance broker explained that, while critical illness cover is usually being seen as the most logical policy for cancer cover, the importance of income protection is overlooked.
It said that cancer treatment and recovery can often take weeks and months, so income protection can help pay towards those big regular monthly outgoings like a mortgage or rent, bills, and everyday living expenses.
LifeSearch chief operating officer, Paula Bertram-Lax, said: “At LifeSearch, we understand that breast cancer is a life-changing experience.
“For those affected, the journey through treatment and recovery is deeply personal, and no two stories are the same.
“Despite the challenges, one thing remains clear: securing protection fr the future is essential, especially for those with a history of breast cancer.
“October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and a crucial time for us, as a distributor, to reflect on how we approach conversations about income protection and support those living with breast cancer.”
The broker added that many breast cancer survivors may consider themselves uninsurable, or find it difficult to get insured through traditional insurers.
Understandably, from an insurer perspective, they do need to assess the likelihood of claim, and, for them, the primary risk is not just cancer recurrence, but also whether it spreads elsewhere in the body.
LifeSearch also pointed out that all cancers are assessed on an individual case-by-case basis as there are many kinds of cancers which are treated slightly differently.
As an example, the broker pointed out that it’s more difficult to get protection cover if the customer has had a more severe cancer such as bowel or lung cancer or where the cancer was of a high staging, so a stage three or four.
It added that some cancers can actually be caught and treated very quickly, while they are still in the low stages, with little impact upon someone’s general day-to-day health.
These include breast cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and some types of Leukaemia.
tom.dunstan@ft.com
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