One of the main reasons people take out critical illness insurance is for the fact that cancer is covered.  Cancer is a big illness to cover under a critical illness policy and you don’t have to go far before you find lots of stories on the internet where people have had their cliams for cancer declined by critical illness companies.

Most critical illness providers sign up to the Association of British Insurers critical illness definitions.  The critical illness company therefore has a minimum definition in place and can then add extra cover if needed.  According to the Association of British Insurers the cancer definition is as follows:-

Cancer 

– excluding less advanced cases

Any malignant tumour positively diagnosed with histological confirmation and characterised by the uncontrolled growth of malignant cells and invasion of tissue. The term malignant tumour includes leukaemia,lymphoma and sarcoma. All cancers which are histologically classified as any of the following: 

- non-invasive;

- cancer in situ;

- having either borderline malignancy; or

- having low malignant potential.

All tumours of the prostate unless histologically classified as having a Gleason score greater than 6 or having progressed to at least clinical TNM

• Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia unless histologically classified as having progressed to at least Binet Stage A.
• Any skin cancer other than malignant melanoma that has been histologically classified as having caused invasion beyond the epidermis (outer layer of skin).