More on controversial health insurance scheme

A controversial new type of health insurance could allow policyholders to claim up to 50,000 pounds worth ‘top-up’ drugs.

The plan, released by insurance company WPA, is called mycancerdrugs. It is expected to cost between fifty and a hundred pounds per year. The policy funds drugs that are licensed by the European Medicines Agency but not available on the NHS. NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) are deliberating on some, whilst others have already been rejected.

The drugs are cancer fighters, with ten on the list so far. They include Avastin for bowel cancer, Alimta for lung cancer, and Nexavar and Sutent for kidney cancer . It is expected that a further forty drugs are in the pipeline.

The announcement of the policy comes after claims earlier this week by the campaign group Doctors for Reform that more patients will have to pay for private top-up care in the future because the NHS cannot afford to treat them properly.

The news, coupled with calls for co-payment by the group Doctors for Reform earlier this week, raise important questions about the ability of the NHS to match modern healthcare.