Cancer drugs – a new product from WPA

WPA has launched a new product aimed at people who are afraid that the NHS may refuse to pay for expensive new cancer drugs.

It is an issue that has received heightened publicity recently following the death of Linda O’Boyle, who was receiving treatment under the NHS, but was refused the right to ‘top up’ her care when the local health trust decided not to pay for a new ‘wonder’ drug.

The new WPA product is essentially a cash plan, but one of the options offers £50,000 lifetime benefit for cancer drugs. Anyone over 60 is ineligible, as is anyone with a history of cancer.

WPA’s marketing of the product as a ‘top-up’ to the NHS is questionable. Following Mrs O’Boyle’s death, there are several cases currently before the courts designed to establish a patient’s right to supplement NHS care from their own funds. Nevertheless, at present it remains prohibited.

However, there is nothing to stop an employer offering it to employees as a top-up to an existing PMI plan. The cost of the drug in the O’Boyle case was £11,000, but for others it could be £25,000 a course or even more. In the face of such sums, employers are thinking hard about whether the costs can continue to be met by the company medical plan. Most will probably continue to fund the benefit, but WPA’s initiative offers an alternative. The basic plan could exclude the new drugs, but employees could be offered separate cover if they so wish. The price for a company with 500 or more members is £3.15 a month for a non-smoker and, crucially, this cost can be recharged back through payroll. Bulk purchase by an employer makes a difference as the basic cost to an individual is £4.20 a month.

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