Hi all,

I have been refused life and income insurance by legal and General after they rejected me based on my medical report. I had cancer 17 years ago, not an aggressive tumor and my consultant is positive it will never come back. It was a very rare tumor and only a specialist consultant would know the details. Basically they have took one look at my report and refused me.

Can I appeal?

Can I request to see their report (not my medical records but why they refused me)

Can anyone recommend an insurance company?

Thankyou!!

Hi.

I'm not sure if you can get them to tell you why they made their decision. The normal way to communicate on this would be either your GP or possibly your consultant writing to their L&G's Chief Medical Officer, they won't speak to you direct.

I'm quite surprised that they've done this from what you've said, I thought insurance companies were more enlightened about cancer diagnoses these days. Have they declined you or offered special rates?

Rather than recommend a company [which is against site rules], I would suggest you find a local IFA [independent financial adviser] who knows the market and can approach the right company for you.

HB

Thanks so much for replying. They first quoted me a high rate, I then asked them to reconsider, I tried to explain about my illness and that it was over 17 years ago. They then came back to me and said they couldn't offer any cover at all! I'm going to ask my consultant to write a letter. I'll look at Ifa's too. Im so upset by it, I get that it's all abiut risk but I feel like I'm being discriminated for having had cancer!

I understand, but stick with it and someone is likely to take you.

Again, I'm surprised by L&G's behaviour. Depending on what they come back with, it might be worth taking this further. But get your cover place if you can, that could also show L&G that they're not being logical.

Info from the FCA on how to find an IFA. [sorry about the acronyms.]

https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/finding-adviser

HB

L&G's response is not uncommon.

At the time ofyour illness did you have life assurance /critical illness/income protection? Did you make any claim on those if you did?

My Mrs cannot get critical illness cover as she got breast cancer, at first it was a DCIS and no critical illness cover pays out on that but she was claiming income protection.

However the pathologist was not happy and wanted a bigger margin for the lumpectomy as it was just becoming invasive. The Halifax paid out critical with no fuss after getting the reports, but she cannot get critical illness cover again even tho she has had the 5 year all clear and is no longer taking medication for it.

I didn't have any insurance at the time. In fact I've never had any, I'm only getting it now because I buying a house for the first time. I'm going to try a few other insurers but I'm not hopeful..

Firstly its assurance not insurance.

What type of tumor was it. That's important.

A letter from your consultant would help but it all depends on the tumor type. L&G, at the moment, consider you as too much of a risk but a letter may change there minds but you could be paying a fortune.

It was a very slow growing tumour, that had not d

Spread at all. I'm going to ask consultant for a letter, I hope he can do that for me and he doesn't refuse. They did quote 20 a month to start with and then jumped to 40, I asked them to reconsider and then they said "actually we think we've been too generous and we are now going to refuse cover full stop".

A want to see their reasons in writing really..

I would advise you to try other insurers via an IFA. I could be wrong, but I thought there was a central database where life assurance companies shared information on people who aren't offered 'normal rates'. You don't want to have a load of entries on that if it exists.

HB