Dr Arun Thiyagarajan: Three ways cancer cover is expanding
From prevention to diagnostics and support after treatment, Dr Arun Thiyaragajan, Managing Director, VitalityHealth, unpacks the breadth of support on offer for cancer patients through private medical insurance
According to the NHS, one in two people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime 1, so it’s no wonder that cancer cover remains one of the key reasons why people take out health insurance.
Fast access to treatment when it is needed is understandably going to be a top priority for many clients, especially at a time when pressure on NHS cancer services remains high 2. However, what often gets overlooked is the full breadth of support that is available through private medical insurance (PMI) for cancer patients.
With an increasing emphasis on both prevention and early intervention, as well as pre-treatment support or ‘pre-hab’, here are three ways in which PMI can offer comprehensive cancer care before, during and after treatment.
1. Screening and early detection
PMI plans don’t just have to just treat cancer when it arises, they can begin by actively helping to prevent it and detect it earlier - improving the chances of successful treatment.
It is estimated that around 40% of all cancer cases are preventable by addressing modifiable lifestyle like smoking, obesity, lack of exercise and unhealthy diets[3].
Research from Vitality and The London School of Economics has shown that healthy exercise habits are linked to a significant reduction in risk of cancer. Members who sustained a habit of 10,000 steps three times a week for three years, saw a 36% reduction in stage-4 cancer risk[4] - making benefits like the Vitality Programme, which encourages and incentivises healthy behaviours, a crucial starting point.
PMI can also give clients access to a range of equally important secondary prevention tools, to screen for cancer risk and detect it earlier, alongside other health risk factors.
Services like Vitality’s online Cancer Risk Assessment can provide members who are identified as being ‘at risk’ with access to discounted screenings for breast, bowel, cervical, prostate and skin cancer, enabling an earlier diagnosis and complementing existing NHS pathways. Since launching in 2023, over 28,000 members have completed the Cancer Risk Assessment[5].
Since 2015 Vitality has also offered digital-led skin cancer diagnostics for members, that employs AI-driven analysis of dermascope images captured at home, with remote dermatologist review. In 2024 alone, 4,783 members utilised the service and results were typically delivered within an average of 3.4 days following a Vitality GP referral[5].
Annual health checks and more in-depth health assessments meanwhile help to provide a detailed understanding of broader health metrics and as we heard in the case of Vitality member James, these assessments can also be a life saver in detecting cancer earlier.
2. Cutting-edge, tailored treatment
When a client is diagnosed with cancer, it is vital they get access to the most effective form of treatment that best meets their individual needs. Depending on how serious it is, the support needed will vary. It might include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, with or without surgery. Some will require reconstructive surgery, alongside other forms of biological therapy – perhaps even stem cell or bone marrow transplants.
Hospitals can use the latest tests to decide the most appropriate course following diagnosis, and as we've seen in recent years, cancer treatment is rapidly evolving. New biological and hormone therapies are increasingly being used to treat a growing number of cancers. Between 2019 - 2024, claim rates of biological and hormone chemotherapies used to treat Vitality members each increased by 30% respectively, highlighting how PMI is able to offer comprehensive coverage[5].
Then there’s the recent emergence of remote forms of cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy at home, which have played a key role in allowing people to receive treatment in a more comfortable and familiar setting.
3. Support during and after treatment
Care for a member going through a cancer claim is also treating the whole person and evidence has shown that healthy lifestyle changes – as well as preventing cancer in the first place – are improving healthcare outcomes in a clinical setting as well.
A study of Vitality members in South Africa found that those who were more active before a cancer diagnosis had 48% improved survival rates for breast cancer and 53% for prostate cancer4.
Vitality’s dedicated Cancer Support Programme meanwhile gives members who are going through chemotherapy access to specialist dedicated case management and tailored lifestyle coaching to manage with any treatment side effects. Patients enrolled in the programme saw a 40% increase in physical activity, 40% reduction in stress and anxiety and a 11.5% improvement in quality of life[5].
It’s crucial that members going through a cancer claim are also fully supported by an experienced team of experts, who can talk them through their options and help them get the most from their plan. This is one of the reasons we offer dedicated care consultants who will be the member's key contact for the entire duration of each individual claim, throughout their cancer treatment.
Of course, the true test of any of this is when a member actually makes a claim. We’ve already heard about James, who describes the cancer nurse from Vitality as “tremendous”. He adds, “I was able to see the consultant and ask relevant questions. I didn’t have to turn to ‘Dr Google’, and I felt a lot more in control”.
Vitality member Nicky meanwhile describes this feeling like she’d been “wrapped in cotton wool”. “There was no stress involved, no worry, no anxiety, no waiting. I had my results, and I knew what was going to happen next,” she adds.
It’s clear from the amount of cancer support on offer - over and above treatment – that health insurance today can be far more than just cover. With interest in PMI likely higher than ever, focusing on some of the care with clients is only telling part of the story. It should always be about the complete end-to-end journey, before, during and after treatment.
1. Cancer - NHS
2. Cancer waiting times: Latest updates and analysis
3. Number of preventable cancer cases rises by 8,000 | World Cancer Research Fund
4. 'The Vitality Habit Index, How to create habits for a healthier, longer life', Vitality and The London School of Economics, March 2024
5. VitalityHealth Claims Insights Report 2025
VitalityHealth Claims Insights Report 2025
In our 2025 VitalityHealth Claims Insights Report, we consider how consumer needs are changing, and how insurers - and advisers - are adapting to deliver the best possible outcomes for our clients, within a fast-changing environment.
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