Do you have a life insurance policy? Check if the coverage includes cancer insurance. When you receive a cancer diagnosis, additional financial support is especially important. The treatment process involves a number of expenses. Unfortunately, not all of them will be paid by the National Health Fund.

What does cancer insurance consist of?

Cancer insurance is additional financial security for a person who has developed cancer. Typically, this type of protection is not included in a standard life insurance policy. To take advantage of it, you need to extend the policy you already have, or take out an independent cancer policy.

In most cases, insurers offer cancer insurance for people between the ages of 18 and about 60-65. The length of the contract varies and averages 5 years. There are, of course, cases of one-year contracts or longer than the aforementioned 5 years. To be sure that a cancer policy suits your needs, check and compare quotes from several insurers. Remember also that cancer insurance is also offered by banks, cell phone operators. Many people choose to take out group insurance at work.

Buying cancer insurance for people who already have cancer or have a history of cancer is possible. However, it should be added that the terms of the contract offered by the insurer will be slightly worse than for a healthy person with a lower risk of cancer.

How does cancer insurance work?

You will find the necessary information on the scope of coverage and payment of compensation in the T&C, or general terms and conditions of insurance. Many people think that it is enough to inform the insurer about the illness in order for the insurer to pay the benefit. Unfortunately, the indemnity payment process is not always quick and successful. Why?

There are 3 key elements in a contract with an insurer - grace period, benefit limits and exclusions from liability.

A grace period is a period after signing a contract during which your coverage is not yet in place or is incomplete.

Benefit limits determine how many times per year an insurer can compensate you for a specific policy event, such as for a hospitalization or medical transport. If you use up a given pool during the year, you will no longer receive compensation for subsequent episodes of a policy event.

Exclusions from liability are situations in which the insurer may refuse to pay you a benefit. They usually include, among others, concealment of a medical condition at the time of signing the contract, failure to follow medical instructions, failure to comply with the deadline for filing a claim for compensation.

Check out: how you can help cancer patients.

What does cancer insurance cover?

The scope of the policy is individually determined when you sign a contract with the insurer. Depending on your needs and the insurance company's offer, your cancer policy may include a benefit payment in case of, among other things:

• receiving a cancer diagnosis,
• treatment abroad,
• medical transportation,
• surgical treatment,
• rehabilitation.

Very often, cancer insurance also provides, among other things, psychological support (for the patient and his or her loved ones), assistance in caring for children or pets in the event of hospitalization of the patient, home visits by nurses, delivery of medicines to the place of residence, genetic testing.

Is it worth it to have cancer insurance?

Statistics are not optimistic - the number of cancer patients is increasing. If you are at risk due to genetic burden, age, lifestyle or exposure to harmful chemicals, it is worth buying cancer insurance.

A cancer policy is also a good choice for people who are not insured with the National Health Service. It's also worth thinking about future-proofing if you run a sole proprietorship. A cancer diagnosis may entail closing/suspending your business and losing cash flow.

Private health insurance against cancer means a quick process of diagnosis and treatment, the ability to finance unreimbursed drugs and therapies.

Remember that you are not alone in your illness. If you need support with cancer diagnosis and treatment, come to us. Assistance at the Cancer Fighters Foundation includes psychological care, payment of financial benefits and the opportunity to set up a collection for cancer treatment.

What does cancer insurance provide?

If you get cancer, you get an extra cash injection. You can use it for diagnosis and treatment. Even if you receive treatment from the National Health Service, there will be additional expenses related to everyday life, such as getting medicines home, transportation to the clinic or buying specialized food for a cancer patient. The policy's indemnity payment allows you to focus on your treatment, without worrying about your finances.

Does cancer insurance pay for itself?

The sum insured, that is, the maximum amount of compensation that the insurer will pay you, is an individual matter, depending on several factors. First of all, we are talking about the scope of protection. The rule is simple - the more points in the contract, the higher the premium, but also the higher the sum insured. Not insignificant is your age, health status, the insurer's assessment of risk. If you get sick with cancer, cancer health insurance will give you a cash injection of a dozen to even several hundred thousand zlotys.

How to receive cancer benefits?

If you have a cancer policy, the process for claiming compensation is outlined in the terms of the contract you signed with your insurer. After receiving a medical diagnosis, complete the necessary medical documentation - test results, treatment plan. Complete and submit to the insurance company an application for compensation. This can usually be done in several ways - online, in person or even by phone.

Observe the deadline for filing a claim. Most insurers specify a time limit within which you must inform them of a change in your condition. If the deadline passes, payment of compensation may be difficult or impossible.

The terms of the contract also state the time it takes for the insurer to review your application and pay any compensation. It usually covers several weeks, so you must be patient.