Our Stance on Cancer Treatment

For the purposes of Universal Provident's private medical insurance plans, cancer is defined as a malignant tumour, tissue or cells, characterised by the uncontrolled growth and spread of malignant cells and invasion of tissue (please see Policy Definition - Cancer)

Universal Provident plans cover treatment for cancer provided that the treatment is neither palliative (please see Policy Definition - Palliative treatment) nor preventative and the cancer has not been diagnosed as having a prognosis for survival for five years of less than 50%.

Please note that preventative treatment is excluded for your policy unless:

1. you already suffer from the condition being treated; and
2. the condition would worsen or spread to other parts of the body if such treatment was not undertaken; and
3. such treatment is intended to prevent the condition spreading to any other parts of the body or worsening; and
4. if the treatment is aimed at a particular part of the body, there is a reasonable certainty that, if untreated, the condition will affect that part of the body.

We will cover the costs of diagnosis, including consultations, tests and scans. Once the diagnosis has been made, cover will be provided for treatment by chemotherapy, radiotherapy, biological therapy or surgery whether the treatment is on an in-patient, out-patient or day-patient basis, in hospitals, consulting rooms, day-patient centres or in the patient's own home.

Treatment must be on the basis of established medical practice within the United Kingdom and cover is not provided for drugs used outside the terms of that drug's Marketing Authorisation (also known as its license) or for treatment that is part of a clinical trial or still subject to such trials. There is no cover for bone marrow or stem cell transplants.

Some cancers may require long term treatment using drugs such as monoclonal antibodies (biological therapies). Where such treatment is required we will limit cover to a maximum period of one year from the start of the treatment (please see Policy Exclusion - Biological therapies).

Cover will be provided for follow up checks, consultations and diagnostic tests for a maximum of five years following successful treatment of the cancer (where remission has been obtained).