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Give us a break

If anyone deserves a break, it's someone with cancer. We want to make sure travel insurance is clear and fairly priced, so that people with cancer can take a break when they really need it.

Every day we hear from people who are having trouble getting travel insurance cover:

  • People with cancer are often quoted travel insurance premiums that are much too high. 
  • Sometimes cancer is excluded from their cover, and sometimes they’re not able to get cover at all.
  • People have to deal with endless phone calls or mountains of paperwork to apply for a policy.

Often people are simply unable to take a break when they really need it. And people can even face these problems years after returning to good health following successful treatment.

Read Laura's story

Laura was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2011. Due to not being able to work during intense treatment, she experienced financial difficulties. She also found getting travel insurance difficult.

Our calls to the insurance industry

  • We're calling on the insurance industry to try and use more accurate, relevant and tailored information. This way, people with cancer are treated fairly and aren’t priced out of the market.
  • We also want insurers to try and give clearer explanations about how quotes are calculated, and what an exclusion might mean if someone needed to make a claim.

Tell me more about why this matters

What impact is this having on people?

  • Many people with cancer simply can’t get cover and find themselves unable to take a break when they really need it.
  • Even years after successful treatment, people are being written off as ‘uncoverable’. 
  • Getting travel insurance can turn a dream holiday into a nightmare.

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What is Macmillan doing?

  • In July 2017 we launched our ‘Give us a break’ campaign to raise awareness of the issues that people with cancer tend to experience when they’re trying to get travel insurance.
  • More than 400 people shared their experience of accessing travel insurance with us, which gave a valuable insight into the problems many people face before, during or after treatment.
  • Macmillan provided evidence and insight to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) about the challenges cancer patients face. The FCA called for a review, and we’re looking forward to working with them – and the insurance industry – to find solutions.

If you have or have had cancer, and have experience of trying to get travel insurance, join the discussion on Macmillan's Online Community.

You might also find our information about getting travel insurance if you have cancer, or if you've had cancer before, useful.

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