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News Room Combined in the Press
COMBINED INSURANCE LAUNCHES NEW CARE FOR CANCER PLAN (16/10/2007)
Combined Insurance, a leading and growing accident and health insurer, has announced the launch of a new Care for Cancer Plan to provide protection and financial support for individuals and their families in the event of a cancer diagnosis. Some of the key features of the plan include benefit payments for NHS approved cancer screening tests to encourage regular screening which may result in early detection of cancers and improve the rate of recovery and also benefit payments for approved cancer drugs that are not available on the NHS.
With one in three people in Britain likely to be affected by cancer at some point in their lives*, this comprehensive protection plan from Combined is aimed at easing the financial and emotional burden for cancer sufferers and their families at such a traumatic time.
The Care for Cancer Plan contains a broad range of features which provide:
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A preventative benefit to encourage the use of NHS approved cancer screening tests and other benefits aimed at helping families and individuals with associated expenses
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Cover for costs of approved drugs that are not available from local NHS Trusts.
The research that Combined Insurance conducted when developing this new product has revealed increasing demand for this kind of insurance protection – something private medical insurance does not typically provide.
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78% of people surveyed said they did not have cover in the event of cancer and half of those said they would be interested in taking out a product that provides this type of cancer care.
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Two thirds said that receiving a cash sum pay out when diagnosed was a key element to any cover as well as more than half thinking assistance towards approved cancer drugs was very important to them (53%).
Key Benefits:
The Care for Cancer Plan offers a range of benefits including:
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Approved cancer drugs benefit - includes pay out for cancer drugs not available on the NHS
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Cancer screening benefit - for NHS approved cancer screening tests
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Cancer diagnosis benefit - paid out after diagnosis
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Hospital visits benefit – for any hospital visits for cancer treatment, care or tests needed after diagnosis
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Partner lodgings benefit – if you are confined to a UK hospital and your partner needs to stay overnight in a hotel.
There are three levels of cover available so each individual can choose benefits tailored to their needs. Children between three and eighteen years old can also be covered at no additional cost under the cancer diagnosis benefit and the plan will pay out 50% of the adult benefit.
Other features of the plan include access to the services of Red Arc (a unique independent care advisory service offering tailored care and support after diagnosis), and Best Doctors® (a service which can identify and recommend top specialists to treat individual conditions and offers a ‘second opinion’ from the world’s leading consultants on best treatment options.)
Nigel Brittle, Director at Combined Insurance commented: “One in three people in the UK are likely to suffer from cancer in their lifetime. Combined Insurance’s move to develop this new product is driven by listening to our customers who have told us that they want more than just financial support in the event of a diagnosis. Our research shows that it is difficult to find this broad range of features included in Combined Insurance’s Care for Cancer Plan elsewhere in the marketplace.
Whilst it is understandable that most people don’t want to contemplate getting cancer, it is a fact that many will be affected by it at some time in their lives and one in two will survive**. Combined Insurance’s Care for Cancer Plan is designed to take away the many financial stresses that a long term treatment may involve – freeing up the individual to fight and hopefully beat the illness.
We have also focused on providing protection through this plan so that you don’t have to be ill to claim….the cancer screening benefit encourages people to be proactive in arranging tests which can result in early detection, something which medical evidence clearly demonstrates will vastly improve a patient’s chance of successfully overcoming cancer once diagnosed. ”
Summary of Benefits
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | |
| Cancer Screening Benefit1 | £25 | £50 | £75 |
| Cancer Diagnosis Benefit2 | £10,000 | £20,000 | £30,000 |
| Approved Drugs Benefit3 | Up to £5,000 | Up to £10,000 | Up to £15,000 |
| Hospital Visits Benefits4 | £50 per visit | £75 per visit | £100 per visit |
| Partner Lodgings Benefit5 | £50 per night | £75 per night | £100 per night |
1Benefits are paid for NHS approved cancer screening tests– the plan must have been in force for 12 months and then this benefit can be claimed once every 3 years. Home tests are not covered
2Benefits are paid if you are diagnosed with a cancer defined under the plan
3Benefits are paid for approved cancer drugs that are not available on the NHS (this is available for up to 36 months after diagnosis)
4Benefits are paid for UK hospital visits after diagnosis of cancer for any cancer related treatment or tests (up to a maximum of 30 visits)
5Benefits are paid to you if you are confined to a UK hospital and your spouse/partner/civil partner needs to stay overnight in a hotel/motel (up to a maximum of 10 nights)
Lindsay Wienand/Andrew Cummine FD Consumer Dynamics 0207 269 7265/ 236
Email: Lindsay.wienand@fd.com/ Andrew.cummine@fd.com
Notes to editors;
* http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/cancer/index.shtml
** Cancer Research UK 2007
- Since 1919, Combined Insurance (www.combinedinsurance.co.uk) has specialised in bringing affordable, quality insurance products to individuals and families - and currently provides supplemental disability, accident, health and life cover to over 3.5 million policyholders. Combined Insurance has never forgotten its roots and today operates face to face in local communities – just as it has done for the last 90 years.
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