Can I get life insurance as a breast cancer survivor?

Latest figures show that breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and that 1 in 7 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime [1]. In light of this, we wanted to put together a helpful guide for approaching life insurance if you are currently suffering from breast cancer, or have had treatment in the past.

We'll also look at what you need to provide, how we will help and what outcome you could expect.

Does life insurance cover breast cancer?

Life insurance will pay out if your death is caused by breast cancer, so long as you die within the policy term, disclose any relevant medical conditions accurately at the time of application, and pay your premiums.

If there is a history of breast cancer in your family, you will need to disclose this in your application as well. This informs your insurer that there is a potential risk that you develop the disease in the future, if not, they may not accept a claim.

It's important to note that life insurance won't pay out if you are diagnosed with breast cancer – only if it is the cause of death.

You may wish to take out additional cover, such as critical illness cover. This could pay out a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a type of cancer or another specified illness during the policy term. The money could then be used to cover the income lost while you are unable to work. It can be purchased as an add-on to a standard life insurance policy or as a separate policy.

Is life insurance more expensive after a breast cancer diagnosis?

If you had cancer in the past, your premiums will likely be higher than normal. However, it will also depend on other factors, such as:

• Your age

• Health

• Medical history

• Occupation

• Smoker status - you will need to disclose whether you smoke, vape or use any other tobacco products

• The amount of cover you need (£s)

• The length of cover you need

There are two main types of life insurance –whole life insurance and term life insurance.

Whole life insurance lasts for the rest of your life, so long as you continue to pay your premiums. As it has no expiry date, it tends to be more expensive.

Whereas with term life insurance, you are covered for a set amount of time (usually between 5-55 years). The policy only pays out if you die with the term, so a payout is not guaranteed, making it slightly cheaper than whole cover.

What do I need to provide?

When it comes to any medical disclosure and life insurance, the more information you can provide, the better! This is because we will need to conduct research with multiple insurers to figure out who has the best deal for you.

Whilst some insurers may have additional questions, in general, you can expect us to ask for the following:

Your medical history

If you have had breast cancer in the past or currently have breast cancer, it is vital for us to have the following information so that we can provide you with the most accurate quote:

We’ll also be asking about your general medical history, including mental and physical health. These questions can sometimes feel a little intrusive, so if you’d like to arrange to talk to an adviser at a time where your support system can be near you, then please use our contact form to get in touch. 

It also may be possible for your adviser to take the information via email if you are uncomfortable talking over the phone.

How will Cavendish Online help?

We’ll do the research

Since there are no two cases alike, we’d suggest that anyone with a cancer disclosure should speak to an adviser. This is so that we can research the whole market and find you the best option based on your circumstances.

At Cavendish Online, our advisers are friendly and knowledgeable, and the best part is that it costs you nothing for them to do the research and provide you with some options. 

If you are happy with what you see and decide to purchase the plan, then we will be paid in commission from your chosen insurer - this is already built into the premium we’ll quote you, so there are no hidden costs or fees. 

If you’d like to see an example of how we help our customers, you may be interested in our Customer Case Studies page.

We’ll keep in touch

Usually, the longer it has been since your treatment ceased, the more options you’ll have available and the cheaper those options will be. Through our advice service, we offer all our clients an annual review near the anniversary of your policy to ensure that you still have the best plan available. 

Not only that, but if we have indications that a better price will be available sooner than in 12 months time, we’ll reach out.

What outcome can I expect?

A request for additional information

If you have a breast cancer disclosure, it’s very likely that your insurer will request a GP report before they can offer you a final price. Depending on your GP, this can sometimes take a while, but is a standard practice, so don’t be alarmed. 

Specialist notes/letters can sometimes speed up this process, so if you have a copy to hand, your adviser may ask you to provide them.

In some cases, you may be required to undergo a nurse screening - this will be arranged around your schedule. 

And sometimes, the insurer may contact you with additional questions.  

To learn more about this process, please visit our underwriting page.

One of the main benefits of talking to an adviser is that they are able to get an estimate or indication of what the premium might be and what's needed from you before you apply with an insurer. If you're interested in speaking to one of our advisers, please give us a call on:

01392 436 193

Potentially an inflated premium

As with any pre-existing medical condition and life insurance, your insurer may consider increasing your monthly premium depending on the various circumstances. 

If you decide to go ahead and purchase the policy, your monthly premium will be fixed for the lifetime of the policy unless there is an alternative agreement in your terms and conditions. 

For example, sometimes insurers might offer an inflated price for the first 5 years, then a cheaper amount for the remainder of the policy. This will be agreed before the policy starts.

Please note that it is not unusual for cover to be cheaper as you get further from the date your treatment ceased. Because of this, it’s especially important that you take advantage of our annual review service as we may be able to save you money as time goes on.

Possible exclusions 

Whilst life insurance cannot have exclusions applied, critical illness cover and income protection might. That is why it is so important to speak to an adviser who has access to the whole market - so you can ensure that you have the plan you want. 

If you have a family history with breast cancer, or you have other reasons to be concerned about breast cancer, then it would be beneficial to look into purchasing critical illness cover and/or income protection sooner rather than later. 

These plans are usually cheaper while you’re young and the risk is lower. For more information, you may be interested in our article -  When is the right time to buy life insurance?

If you have previously had cancer, the truth is that it will be difficult to obtain critical illness cover and income protection as your risk will be higher than the average person’s.

Cavendish Online is a specialist broker with access to the whole market, so we will do our due diligence to ensure that all avenues have been looked into, and provide you with the best option available.

There is always something we can do

You should be aware that in some instances medically underwritten cover might not be possible right now. But try not to be too disappointed if this is the case for you. There is always something available, even if it’s not quite the plan you were looking for. After all, some cover is almost always better than none. 

And remember, we get in touch every year, so if we can find you standard cover at a later date, we will help you switch over to a new plan.

We hope you have found this helpful. As always, if you would like to discuss your options in more detail, please get in touch with our team. You can find their details below:

[1]https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/breast-cancer#heading-Four Accessed September 2024