Vitality is calling on health insurers to strengthen early detection and prevention services for skin cancer, highlighting the condition’s significant impact on male cancer claims and the implications for claims costs and customer outcomes.
In 2024, skin cancer accounted for 28% of all male cancer claims made to Vitality -- on par with prostate cancer as the most common claim. For men under 50, recent Vitality data indicated skin and soft tissue cancers were the most frequent cancer claim. This has prompted the insurer’s push for proactive screening tools embedded in health policies.
The urgency of detection is backed by public health figures. Melanoma, a type of skin cancer, affects around 17,500 people annually in the UK and is the fourth most common cancer among men. Survival rates have improved significantly, with nearly nine in 10 diagnosed individuals now living for 10 years or more.
Vitality said that, since 2015, its members have benefitted from at-home skin screening through a partnership with Skin Analytics. According to the company, members, following a GP referral, receive a dermascope camera to submit detailed images of skin concerns, which are then assessed by consultant dermatologists.
Katie Tryon, chief commercial director of Vitality Health, said that early detection significantly improves survival rates and should be a core component of health insurance offerings.
The insurer’s model reflects a wider shift in the health insurance market towards embedding preventative tools, telehealth, and digitally enabled diagnostics into policy design. The approach is seen as a means of reducing claims severity, enhancing customer engagement, and differentiating offerings.
Cancer continues to dominate critical illness claims across the market. Royal London’s 2024 data showed that it accounted for 63.8% (£91.6 million) of critical illness payouts, with skin cancer making up about 5% of those claims.
