Private Medical Insurance (PMI) policies, otherwise known as health insurance, need to be clearer about their terms and conditions regarding cancer cover, according to a new report released by Mercer.

Research conducted by Mercer in collaboration with Cancerbackup has found that the terms governing cancer care included in PMI policies are often ambiguous and can leave consumers unsure of where they stand. It found that while health insurance providers rarely differed in opinion regarding how cancer treatment should be covered, the cover provided varies between insurers.

The principal in Mercer’s health & benefits team, Steve Clements, remarked: “PMI providers are using it [cancer care] to differentiate themselves from their competitors. While there have been substantial improvements, there is continued ambiguity over what is and isn’t covered in some cases. Eligibility rules for chronic conditions, for example, can sometimes mean cancer treatments will effectively be excluded or cut short,” he says.,/P>