Some 20 million cancer survivors across Europe are being discriminated against when accessing financial services including loans, mortgages, health and travel insurance.
New research led by Queen’s University Belfast finds that up to 25% of people living 'cancer free' in Europe are unable to access appropriate services.
It says cancer survivors in many European countries - including Ireland - must declare their previous diagnosis to financial institutions to successfully access products.
A European-wide effort, led by the European Initiative to End Discrimination against Cancer Survivors, is supporting the introduction of legislation that will permit successfully treated cancer patients to not declare a previously diagnosed cancer, so that their diagnosis is essentially 'forgotten'.
Right to be Forgotten
In Ireland, the Government has been accused of dragging its heels on a new bill which would introduce a ‘Right to be Forgotten’ for cancer survivors – meaning that, after a time, they would no longer have to tell insurance companies about their history.
The Central Bank (Amendment) Bill 2022, which would prohibit financial service providers from discriminating against cancer survivors, remains stuck at second stage in the Seanad.
Last year, however, the Finance Minister said he remained committed to engaging with senators on the issue.
Irish Cancer Society research shows that one-quarter of people affected by cancer feel they have been unfairly treated when buying financial products in Ireland.
Europe
In January 2016, France became the first country in the world to introduce the 'Right To Be Forgotten'.
It specifies that long-term cancer survivors do not have to share medical information with a financial institution about their diagnosis after a delay of five years without a recurrence.
Seven other European countries have taken similar legal measures to counter discrimination against cancer survivors.
A self-regulatory code of conduct has been introduced in a number of other countries, including Ireland, but it's not legally binding.
'Survivors shouldn't be penalised'
European Initiative to End Discrimination against Cancer Survivors Founder Dr Françoise Meunier said something needs to change.
"It is unacceptable that cancer patients must endure this financial discrimination," she said.
"Those who are living beyond their disease should not be penalised for a previous cancer diagnosis.
"Cancer patients across Europe who have been successfully treated should, by law, be able to avoid disclosing a previous diagnosis of cancer, so that they can access the financial services that they need," she added.
The new study has been published in The Lancet Oncology.
