Maggie's demands Treasury action over 'unfair' travel insurance market for cancer patients

An Edinburgh man whose £145 travel insurance policy was instantly cancelled following a cancer diagnosis was forced to pay nearly £2,000 to go on a pre-booked holiday.

His experience has prompted cancer support charity Maggie's to demand a fairer deal for patients from the UK Government and the insurance industry.

Mike Czemerys, 71, was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer last year. Despite responding well to treatment and being explicitly cleared to fly by his consultant, his mainstream insurer cancelled his annual worldwide policy the moment his wife reported the diagnosis.

With a "trip of a lifetime" to Japan already booked and paid for, he faced a string of rejections from other insurers. Mr Czemerys described the experience as a "second blow", adding that it felt like "nobody wants to touch you".

Following advice from a Maggie’s centre, he eventually found cover through a specialist broker who properly assessed his stable condition. However, the policy cost £1,900 – more than 10 times his original premium.

Maggie's, which opened its first centre at Edinburgh's Western General Hospital 30 years ago, has written to the Treasury demanding urgent intervention. The charity wants ministers to work with regulators to stop patients being quoted exorbitant premiums when they are fit to travel.

Dame Laura Lee, chief executive of Maggie's, said: "People with cancer, and those with a history of cancer, are being refused insurance and denied the opportunity to travel.

"We urgently need joined-up action that puts people with cancer first and finds an adequate solution to this continuing issue."