Access%to%credit%and%insurance:% challenges%faced%by%cancer% - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Access%to%credit%and%insurance:% challenges%faced%by%cancer% pa6ents%and%possible%solu6ons ! The!Associa+on!of!European!Cancer! Leagues’!Pa+ent!Support!Working! Group! Flemish!League!Against!Cancer!

Access!to!financial!services:!essen+al! for!a!good!quality!of!life! Important!to!create!business!and!economic! opportuni+es,!to!improve!health,!educa+on! and!overall!wellIbeing! !

! Snapshot!of!inves+ga+ons!by!the!Flemish! League!Against!Cancer!

Pa6ent% Gender% Date%of%complaint% Date%of% Date%of% Diagnosis% Complaint% Complaint%2% diagnosis% remission% 1% A! F! Jun/10! 2010! kidney! refusal% by! refusal!by! ! cancer! CO1,2010! other! companies,! 2010! B! F! Jun/10! 2007! melanoma! refusal,! 2010! C! F! Sep/10! 2006! breast! premium:! no!transI cancer! €108,! parency,! surcharge :! 2010! €2132,! 2010! D! M! Nov/10! 2006! 2007! Hodgkin's! Surcharge% by!CO2,! disease! €2600/4years,!2010! E! M! Dec/10! 1999! 2005! T3N1M0! refusal!by!!CO3,!2011! rectum! adenoca! loan!insurance!

Data!from!the!Associa+on!of!European! Cancer!Leagues! Patient’s complaints in: Adjournment (Postponement) Belgium Refusal Belgium, Hungary, Portugal, Denmark, France, Ireland Additional Premium (surcharge) Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal Lack of Transparency Belgium, Netherlands

! European%Commission,%2010 ! Study!on!the!use!of!age,!disability,!sex,!religion!or!belief,! racial!or!ethnic!origin!and!sexual!orienta+on!in!financial! services,!in!par+cular!in!the!insurance!and!banking!sectors ! ! Key!Findings:! ! • Segmenta+on:!consumers!bracketed! according!to!health!risk! • Disability!vs!underlying!health!condi+on! • Term!life!insurance:!health!condi+on:!key! factor!

European!Commission!Study!2010! Key!findings!cont....! • Most!complaints!concerning!alleged! discrimina+on:!life,!private!health,!motor,!travel!! • Age!and!disability:!most!frequently!men+oned!! discrimina+on!grounds! • Numbers!of!complaints!about!discrimina+on!in! financial!services!are!low!compared!to!other! types!of!consumer!complaints.! But:%no%complete% data%

When!is!segmenta+on! discrimina+on?!Defini+on!in!Belgian! Law! ! When!it!is!based!on:!! !I!actual!or!future!health!status! !I!disability!(chronic!illness)! ! ! unless& there’s!an!objec+ve! jus+fica+on:! ! !I!legi+mate!aim!! !I!per+nent!reason! !I!necessary!means! ! ! !

Common!problems!faced!by!cancer! survivors!in!the!EU! ! • Surveys!of!the!European!Cancer!Leagues!and!study!by!Civic! Consul+ng/DG!Employment,!2010:! – High!addi+onal!surcharge! – Refusal! – Adjournement!(postponement)! – Lack!of!transparancy! ! Disability!or!increased!health!risk=!limited!access!to! insurance!!

Measures!taken!against! discrimina+on!in!Europe:!France! !

Conven+on!AERAS,!2007!(renewed! in!2011)! • Voluntary!agreement!between!stakeholders*! to!facilitate!access!of!persons!with!aggravated! health!risks!to!home!and!consumer!loans!and! to!loan!insurance! • Fast!acknowledgement!of!medical!progress! by!insurance!companies! • 3!levels!of!evalua+on!for!refused!customers! • A!capping!mechanism!for!high!surcharges! • Media+on!commikee! hkp://www.aerasIinfos.fr/!! !

Solu+ons!in!Europe!II:!! Belgium! 1. Ombudsman:*!an!example!of! media+on! 2. Centre!for!Equal!Opportuni+es! and!Opposi+on!to!Racism! 3. Law!on!Debt!Balance! Insurance!(proposed):! 1. Solidarity!fund!to!act!as! capping!mechanism! 2. Code!of!Good!Prac+ce!for! insurance!companies!

Centre%for%Equal%Opportuni6es%and% Opposi6on%to%Racism ! • Case!(2009):!person!with!osteosarcoma!+! lungmetastasis.!Mortgage:!€367!500.!Loan! insurance:!surcharge:!€1847/5y,!€368/20!y! • Person!files!complaint!at!Centre.!Centre!asks! insurer!for!explana+on! • Insurer!provides!EBM!survival!figures,!proving! excess!mortality! • Answer!to!consumer:!no!discrimina+on,! because!of!increased!risk!

Conclusions! • Discriminatory!prac+ces!by!insurance! companies!exist:!High!surcharges!and!loan! refusals!without!objec+ve!reasoning!and! transparency! • Na+onal!level!measures!such!as!AERAS,! Ombudsman!and!Centres!for!Equality!are! making!a!difference!in!some!countries.!! • Not!enough!is!known!about!the!extent!of! the!problem!in!the!EU!or!other!loca+ons! !

! ! ! ! • Private !loan!insurance! • Home!Loan!Insurance! (insurance!that!is!paid! out!if!a!borrower!dies! before!a!loan!is!paid):! usually!taken!to!cover! mortgages!

! Call!for!Ac+on!and!Support! ! How!many!cancer!survivors!are! unnecessarily!paying!higher!premiums! and!surcharges!or!accep+ng!without! challenging!decisions?! ! PSWG@europeancancerleagues.org!!