Cancer and insurance: Problems when taking out life and occupational disability insurance

Cancer and insurance: Problems when taking out life and occupational disability insurance

According to a report by www.aerzteblatt.de, it is pointed out that having cancer a long time ago can prevent you from taking out a life insurance contract. Certain risks can also be excluded for those affected or higher premiums can be set. This can make it difficult to secure bank loans as insurance is difficult to obtain.

A “right to be forgotten” is currently being discussed at the European level, which is intended to restrict the information rights of insurance companies on health issues. Portugal, France and Luxembourg have already introduced such a “right to be forgotten” to give those affected by cancer better access to life and occupational disability insurance.

Introducing a “right to be forgotten” could result in cancer survivors having better access to insurance and protection from discrimination. It is advisable to take out insurance that limits retroactive health questions to ten or five years.

In Germany there is currently no “right to be forgotten”. According to the Insurance Contract Act, health questions must be answered truthfully before concluding an insurance contract, otherwise paid premiums and insurance cover may be lost or payments already received may be reclaimed.

This issue could have far-reaching effects on the insurance market. Restricting insurance companies' rights to information regarding health issues could result in certain insurance policies becoming more accessible to former cancer patients. This could help reduce discrimination against cancer survivors and provide them with better insurance coverage.

For the insurance industry, this could mean adapting their policies and practices to meet changing legal requirements. It is also possible that prices for certain insurance products may change to reflect the new regulations and balance the risk to insurance companies.

Overall, it is important to combat discrimination against cancer survivors when it comes to insurance in order to enable these individuals to lead normal lives and give them the same opportunities for insurance coverage as other consumers. The introduction of a “right to be forgotten” could be an important step in this direction.