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Only a small number of products provide cancer cover for cancer survivors
The maximum sum insured limit is US$62,500
Cancer cover is also available for people with heart disease or a history of stroke
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Cannot get insurance after a serious illness? Which critical illness plan can rekindle hope for survivors?
Only those who have bought insurance or made a claim know that you should take out insurance while you are young and healthy, because once health problems arise, most insurers will not accept the application. Even if cover is granted, the premium may also be significantly higher. However, in recent years, a number of insurers have launched new critical illness products that allow applicants who have recovered from critical illnesses to obtain cover again and rebuild their protection. In this article, 10Life compares five critical illness insurance plans that cancer, heart disease or stroke survivors can apply for, and explains the features of these “rare” products, the illnesses covered, and application tips.
Only a small number of products provide cancer cover for cancer survivors
Table 1: Comparison of critical illness products available to cancer survivors
|
Insurer / Product |
Covered critical illnesses |
Covered early-stage / special illnesses |
Coverage period |
Application requirements |
| 富衛 危疾優易保-癌護您 （終身危疾） |
62 critical illnesses, including cancer, stroke and heart disease | 53 conditions (including carcinoma in situ and coronary angioplasty, etc.) | Whole life | Answer questions about health conditions; no cancer treatment required for over 2 years |
| AXA 安盛 盛滿愛 -心意保 （定期危疾） |
Heart disease, stroke, severe dementia |
Not applicable |
Specified term | No medical examination required; answer questions on health conditions and serious medical history within the past 2 years; no need for continuous cancer treatment for more than 2 years |
Cancer is Hong Kong’s leading killer and is also highly prevalent. According to data from the Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society, regardless of gender, about 1 in 4 people in Hong Kong will have cancer before the age of 751. Given that cancer survivors have a higher chance of developing cancer again, there are not many critical illness plans in the market specifically designed for cancer survivors, and only a very small number of products offer cancer cover again.
Table 1 shows two critical illness products that accept applications from cancer survivors, but they are not identical in nature. FWD Critical Illness Care and Cancer Protect is a whole-life critical illness plan with a savings element, while AXA Hong Kong and Macau’s EverCare with Heart is a term critical illness plan with lower premiums. The range of covered critical illnesses also differs between the two plans; only FWD Critical Illness Care and Cancer Protect offers cancer cover for cancer survivors.
Although some anti-cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, can adversely affect the heart and blood vessels, the critical illness plans mentioned above all cover heart disease and stroke. However, those who have recently recovered from a serious illness may not be able to buy critical illness insurance immediately; both of the products above require the applicant to have had no further cancer treatment for more than 2 years. When applying, it is also advisable to consider your own needs and choose the most suitable product. Whole-life critical illness insurance generally provides cover for life, and the policy can accumulate cash value over time, so no further premiums are payable once the premium payment term ends. Term critical illness products, by contrast, tend to provide cover for a specified period, generally 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or 15 years, and premiums usually increase upon renewal.
The maximum sum insured limit is US$62,500
Table 2: Comparison of Critical Illness Products Available to Cancer Survivors
|
Insurer/Product |
First Critical Illness Benefit |
Special Disease Benefit |
Multi-critical illness cover |
Maximum Sum Insured |
|
富衛 |
Scenario 1: Cancer Years 2-3: 50% of the original sum insured paid in advance; Year 4 onwards: 100% of the sum insured Scenario 2: Other critical illnesses excluding cancer 100% of the sum insured |
Scenario 1: Carcinoma in situ or early stage cancer of specified organs1,2 Years 2-3: 10% of the original sum insured paid in advance; Year 4 onwards: 20% of the original sum insured paid in advance + pro-rata special bonus (if any) Scenario 2: Other special diseases1,2 20% of the original sum insured paid in advance + pro-rata special bonus (if any) |
Not applicable | $62,500 |
| AXA 安盛 盛滿愛 -心意保 （定期危疾） |
100% of the coverage amount |
Not applicable |
Not applicable | $62,500 |
| Notes: 1. The maximum benefit per claim for carcinoma in situ or early stage cancer of specified organs and coronary angioplasty (where applicable) is HKD400,000/USD50,000. 2. Each special disease can only be claimed once (except coronary angioplasty). Coronary angioplasty can be claimed up to twice. To qualify for the second coronary angioplasty benefit, the degree of stenosis at the site of the main coronary artery related to the treatment, as shown on the coronary angiogram at the time of the first claim, must not exceed 60%. |
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As the risk for recovered patients is higher, these critical illness plans designed for critical illness survivors usually have higher thresholds in terms of claims and coverage amounts. For FWD Critical Illness Easy Protect - Cancer Care, if the insured is diagnosed with cancer within the first 3 policy years, they will not be able to receive 100% of the sum insured as compensation. In addition, compared with general critical illness plans, the maximum sum insured for the two products is only US$65,000 (equivalent to HK$507,000), so the coverage amount is not considered high.
Cancer cover is also available for people with heart disease or a history of stroke
Table 3: Comparison of critical illness products available to applicants with heart disease or stroke, or those who have recovered from such conditions
|
Insurer/Product |
Covered critical illnesses |
Covered early-stage/ special critical illnesses |
Coverage period |
Application requirements |
| 富衛 危疾優易保-心護您 （終身危疾） |
26 critical illnesses, including cancer (excluding heart- and blood-vessel-related diseases) |
23 types (excluding heart- and blood-vessel-related diseases) | Lifetime | Answer health condition questions; No ongoing medical follow-up, observation, tests or surgery required within the past 2 years (excluding medical follow-up for heart disease or stroke) |
| 永明 萬家康安心保 （終身危疾） |
Cancer |
Only carcinoma in situ / early-stage cancer |
First claim: Lifetime 2nd and 3rd claims: Age 85 |
Answer 8 health underwriting questions |
| AXA安盛 盛滿愛 - 癌症保（定期危疾） |
Cancer |
Not applicable |
Specified term |
No medical examination required; disclose health conditions and serious medical history for the past 2 years; No hospital stay of 3 consecutive days, surgery, or need for ongoing or regular follow-up within the past 2 years |
As cardiovascular damage is difficult to reverse, heart attack or stroke survivors should be mentally prepared that critical illness plans will not provide cover for diseases related to the heart and blood vessels. Table 3 lists products that mainly provide cancer cover. However, research has shown that people with cardiovascular disease are 13% more likely to develop cancer than those without cardiovascular disease2, so cancer cover is also important for people who have previously had a heart attack or stroke.
Table 4: Comparison of critical illness products available to heart disease or stroke patients or survivors
|
Insurer/Product |
First critical illness benefit |
Special disease benefit |
Multiple critical illness cover |
Maximum sum insured |
| 富衛 危疾優易保-心護您 （終身危疾） |
Case 1: Cancer 100% of the existing sum insured Case 2: All other covered critical illnesses 100% of the existing sum insured |
20% of the original sum insured plus a pro rata Special Bonus (if any) paid in advance1,2 | Not applicable | $62,500 |
| 永明 萬家康安心保 （終身危疾） |
100% of the original coverage amount + 18% cash support benefit (paid in advance from the subsequent cancer benefit) |
8 male and female specific conditions are eligible for additional compensation of up to 20% of the original sum insured | Up to 3 cancer claims available (including the first claim) |
Subject to Sun Life Hong Kong’s prevailing underwriting rules |
| AXA安盛 盛滿愛 - 癌症保 （定期危疾） |
100% of the sum insured | Not applicable | Not applicable | $62,500 |
| Notes: 1. For carcinoma in situ or early-stage cancer of specified organs and coronary angioplasty (if applicable), the maximum amount payable per claim across all policies under the Critical Illness Easy Choice series for each insured person is HK$400,000 / US$50,000 2. Each special disease can only be paid once (except for carcinoma in situ or early-stage cancer of specified organs). Carcinoma in situ or early-stage cancer of specified organs can be claimed up to two times. To be eligible for the second carcinoma in situ or early-stage cancer of specified organs benefit, the relevant carcinoma in situ or early-stage cancer claim must be for a covered organ, and must be different from the related organ for which a benefit has previously been claimed and paid. If the relevant organ consists of left and right parts (including but not limited to lungs or breasts), the left and right parts will be regarded as the same organ. |
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Among the three products above, only FWD Critical Illness Easy Protect - Heart Guardian Plan covers cancer and other major illnesses; Sun Life's My Dear Care Cover only covers cancer, but it is a multiple critical illness plan, under which the insured can receive up to three cancer claims. Both products are whole-of-life critical illness plans, with higher premiums, but the policy may accumulate cash value. AXA Hong Kong and Macau’s Love for Life - Cancer Protection, by contrast, is a pure protection term critical illness plan that only covers cancer.
Although the above new-generation critical illness products can help fill the protection gap for cancer, heart disease or stroke survivors and rebuild their safety net, their previous medical history means there are still certain constraints in terms of product choice and sum insured, and premiums are also higher. It is therefore best for everyone to take out cover before any health problems arise.
If you would like to know more about the key points to note when choosing critical illness products, feel free to WhatsApp 37051599 and consult with a 10Life insurance adviser.
Further reading:
【Cancer recurrence】Comparing multiple-claim critical illness cover: are more claims always better?
【Living with cancer】Understanding critical illness insurance and ongoing cancer benefit in one article
Notes:
1. Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society information
2. Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, August 2023
Last updated on: 23 January 2025
This English version of this article has been generated by machine translation powered by AI. It is provided solely for reference purposes. In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between this translation and the original Chinese version, the Chinese version shall prevail.
10Life Editorial Team
Our team of professional content researchers focussing on insurance
10Life Editorial Team
Our team of professional content researchers focussing on insurance
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