How does trauma insurance work for cancer diagnoses?

Cancer is one of the most common reasons for trauma insurance claims, but policies have specific definitions about which cancers are covered. Most trauma policies cover invasive cancers that have spread beyond the original site, meaning the cancer cells have invaded surrounding tissues or potentially spread to other parts of the body. These typically result in a full trauma payout (100% of your sum insured). However, very early-stage cancers and certain pre-cancerous conditions are generally excluded or covered only as partial trauma claims. Commonly excluded cancers include most non-melanoma skin cancers (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma), carcinoma in situ (cancer cells that haven't invaded surrounding tissue), pre-malignant conditions, and some very early-stage cancers like early-stage prostate cancer or early-stage breast cancer (depending on staging and grading). Partial trauma benefits might be paid for certain early-stage cancers or low-grade tumours, typically 10-25% of your sum insured. To claim for cancer, you need comprehensive medical evidence including histopathology reports confirming malignancy, cancer staging reports, treatment records, and specialist oncology reports. Since July 2017, Australian insurers use industry-standard definitions for cancer, making it easier to compare policies. Given that nearly 170,000 Australians are diagnosed with cancer each year, trauma insurance provides crucial financial support for treatment costs, time off work, and recovery expenses during what is already an incredibly challenging time.