Insurers 'charge patients too much'

15 November 2007

Cancer patients made to pay 'unreasonably high' travel insurance premiums

People with cancer cannot enjoy their holiday for the same price as everyone else due to "unreasonably high" travel insurance premiums, an MP has said.

Sharon Hodgson, Labour MP for Gateshead East and Washington West, said the travel insurance industry is levying such high charges on cancer patients that some are finding it too expensive to go on holiday at all.

She added that insurance firms should be more sensitive to people suffering from cancer to reflect "the true risks of holiday travel, not just the perceived risk of travelling with a severe condition".

In a Commons motion, Ms Hodgson also said there should be "better informed questioning", so firms can make knowledgeable decisions on a person's situation.

She added it is possible for the travel industry to change its current position, citing insurance firm Insure Pink as an example.

The company, which halves travel cover premiums for people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, was launched in October as part of Breast Cancer Awareness month.