Health Insurance for Cancer with AXA PPP

Axa PPP has an Essential Health Cover policy which covers cancer, heart and stroke - the main diseases which affect the UK's population.

The Essential Health Cover policy has limits. It only covers you for up to £250,000 for a period of up to 2 years from your diagnosis date although within this upper limit there are no cost restrictions on the inpatient and outpatient treatments that you receive including physiotherapy.

The health insurance policy covers you for diagnosis and/or necessary active treatment of cancer but does not include care if your cancer become incurable or if you need palliative care. The company are very clear that they do not offer a comprehensive cover:

'...our policies are not intended to cover all eventualities and are designed to complement rather than replace all the services provided by the NHS.'

The policy covers in-patient and day-patient treatment, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, out-patient consultations, clinical practitioner charges and diagnostic tests but your treatment must take place in the AXA PPP Directory of Hospitals. The list includes over 250 establishments.

Additions
-If you choose to use the NHS for inpatient care you can get a cash benefit of £100 per night, up to £2,000 a year.

-Day-patient and out-patient NHS care. If you choose to have NHS treatment for radiotherapy and chemotherapy you can receive a cash benefit of £50 per day, up to £2,000 a year.

-Parent accommodation for one parent to stay with a child under 11 covered by the policy.
Private ambulance.

-Hospital-at-home – this covers the cost of a nurse who will come to administer treatments at home.

- the company also includes access to drugs that are very effective but not offered by the NHS in every area. For example Avastin.

Exclusions
All policies have their drawbacks:

-You cannot take out this policy after the age of 59 and you cannot renew it after the age of 65.

-This policy does not cover you if your cancer become incurable or for palliative care.

-Psychiatric care is not included in this policy despite the fact that cancer can profoundly affect patients psychological wellbeing. Cancer counselling is routinely offered by the NHS.

-If following a GP referral you are not diagnosed with cancer or a heart condition you will have to pay 50% of treatment costs inclu

-Complementary treatments are not covered despite the fact that many cancer patients report their therapeutic effects.

Costs
The AXA PPP site asks you several questions in order to give you a quote for this cover. As you can see smoking has an effect on premiums. Premiums also increase if you have a history of certain types of cancer in your family: breast, ovarian and colon. AXA PPP do not adjust their policy costs depending on whether you are a man or a women.

32 year old man
Standard rate: £7.95
Family history of colonic cancer: £11.13
Smoker: £12.50

42 year old woman
Standard rate: £7.95
Family history of Breast Cancer: £11.13
Family history of ovarian cancer: £11.13
Family history of colon cancer: £11.13
Smoker: £12.50