Does life insurance cover cancer?

Most life insurance policies, including Tesco Life Insurance, will cover death caused by cancer if it happens during the policy term. That means, if you pass away whilst your policy is active, then the payout goes to your chosen beneficiaries to help support them financially.

Policies only exclude specific situations which your documents will explain clearly.

If you’re new to life insurance, learn more about what it covers and how it works in our guide - What is life insurance?

Yes, you may still be able to get life insurance as a cancer patient or have had cancer in the past. When you apply, insurers ask questions about your medical history so they can understand your situation and the type of cover they may be able to offer.

Some insurers may put your application on hold until treatment ends or until a set period has passed, this is usually around a year, but it can vary. As you would expect however, every application is considered individually.

If you’d like to understand a bit more about how health and lifestyle questions work, see our guide - Life insurance for pre-existing conditions.

When you take out a life insurance policy with a cancer diagnosis, insurers look at your diagnosis as a whole. They may consider:

It’s possible that an insurer might need more detail. If this is the case, they might ask for a GP report, a nurse screening or a short medical examination. However, don’t worry, these checks will be arranged and paid for by the insurer.

For more information about what happens during a medical assessment, see our guide - Do you need a medical for life insurance?

A pre existing condition is any medical issue you had symptoms of, medication for, treatment for, advice about or diagnostic tests for before applying for life insurance. Cancer will be treated as a pre existing condition if you’ve been diagnosed in the past, even if you’re now cancer free.

It’s important to mention any past diagnosis, treatment or planned follow ups when you apply. This helps the life insurer understand your personal situation to make sure that you receive the right level of cover.

If you’d like to understand how health and lifestyle questions work, see our guide - Life insurance for pre-existing conditions.

Yes, you can. A family history of cancer definitely doesn’t prevent you from getting life insurance. During your Tesco Life Insurance application, you’ll be asked about any medical conditions within your close family. This helps us understand whether it may affect the price of your cover.

But rest assured, many people with a family history of cancer are still able to get life insurance at an affordable price, so it’s important to get a proper quote and not just automatically assume it will be too costly.

Once your Tesco Life Insurance policy is active, you usually don’t need to update us if you’re diagnosed with cancer later. Your cover will continue for as long as the monthly premiums are paid.

However, it’s worth remembering that your policy may include benefits such as terminal illness cover or access to additional support services, which could be helpful during treatment, so it’s important to check your documents to make sure you have the detail.

Terminal illness cover pays out your life insurance early if you’re diagnosed with a condition that meets the policy’s definition of a terminal illness and you’re not expected to live longer than 12 months. This payout can help you plan ahead to support loved ones, fill an income gap or manage practical everyday needs.

Yes, it is possible, but it’s also the case that many people are accepted once their treatment has finished or after a certain amount of time has passed following treatment. Different insurers will also have different criteria, so it’s worth shopping around for cover. Lastly, it’s worth bearing in mind that not being eligible now doesn’t mean you won’t be eligible in the future.

Yes, the amount you pay for life insurance is based on the level of risk the insurer takes on, so a past cancer diagnosis could mean that you pay more. However, the amount of premium you pay depends on the type of policy you take out, your overall health, and how long it has been since treatment ended.

Tesco Life Insurance also gives you access to a set of wellbeing services provided by Aviva Digicare+ which include benefits like remote GP appointments, a second medical opinion and guidance from qualified health professionals. Some customers find these services helpful during or after cancer treatment, or when they want quick access to everyday health support.

This doesn’t affect your life insurance cover - it’s simply an extra set of services you can choose to use if you wish.

At Tesco Insurance, we want to help you with the things that matter most. That’s why Tesco Life Insurance comes with a Big Win and lots of Little Helps.

As well as your Tesco benefits, you’ll also get health and wellbeing benefits from Aviva.

Tesco Life Insurance is provided and administered by Aviva, who have a 5-star Defaqto rating for life insurance and pay out on 98.7% of claims*.