Insurance Industry
A BREAST cancer survivor who was shocked to find she was not covered by her health insurance has ... Victim's vow after can
Edinburgh woman Carolyn MacDougall believes it is unfair insurance companies will not pay out to women who have a particular type of breast cancer as they do not view it as a critical illness.
Ms MacDougall, 53, was diagnosed with breast cancer last September and within weeks was admitted to the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh for surgery. But despite enduring a mastectomy, her illness did not qualify her to claim for loss of earnings under her critical illness insurance policy.
DCIS is one of the earliest changes in the breast that can be identified as cancer and some specialists refer to it as a pre-cancerous condition.
After undergoing surgery, personal assistant Ms MacDougall, of Murrays Brae, was off work for six weeks and made an unsuccessful claim to her insurance company Friends Provident.
Last week, as part of a campaign by charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Ms MacDougall went to Westminster to discuss the issue with her MP, Nigel Griffiths.
"It is important that insurance companies treat people like Carolyn fairly and with compassion and it is clear in this case this has not been done.
"Carolyn has highlighted a loophole which I believe the insurance companies should plug themselves. If they don't then the Government should not hesitate to act."
The ABI is currently reviewing insurance industry standards and plans to introduce guidelines so consumers are given clearer information about what type of policy they are buying.
Emma Taggart, director of campaigns at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "Insurance companies need to be transparent about what is and isn't covered by their policies.
"Some specialists refer to DCIS as a pre-cancerous condition and if your insurance company refers to this classification, this could affect whether you're still covered under your critical illness policy."
A spokeswoman for the insurance company said: "Friends Provident welcomes initiatives that promote greater clarity and help increase confidence in the life insurance industry.
This is cache, read story here
