Cancer Care

Access to claim back money for GP visits and unlimited access to Digital Doctor.

Access to claim back money for consultant visits.

MRI scans, CT scan and PET-CT Scans will be covered in approved scan centres to help identify certain common cancers and establish the best treatment plan.

Tests including blood tests, stool tests and smear tests also play an important role in diagnosing cancer. With Irish Life Health, you can claim back some of the cost of such tests.

You can claim some of the costs of radiology tests, including mammograms.

If you have been diagnosed with a serious medical condition you may feel overwhelmed. You want to be certain you are considering every available option when you’re making critical decisions about your treatment plan. Having a medical second opinion can offer valued guidance and peace of mind to you and your family at this time. Irish Life Health members can access a global network of leading medical experts with just one phone call to 1800 902 251 for a medical second opinion.

The cancer treatment journey is a difficult one, but it becomes even more difficult when the mental health issues that can arise are not sufficiently addressed.2 If you need help to cope with a cancer diagnosis, if things are getting on top of you, you can contact our 24/7 Healthy Minds confidential service where counsellors can listen and advise on a whole range of personal and practical matters.

Call 01 562 5150 or download the LifeWorks App and use ‘ILH-’ followed by your member number as your invitation code e.g. ILH-1234567

During cancer treatments, having someone to speak to about more general medical issues can also be very reassuring and helpful. Our Nurse on Call service offers information and advice from a qualified nurse, 24/7, all year long. Just call 01 562 5150 or 00 44 208 481 7727 if you’re outside Ireland.

You are covered for inpatient and day case chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy in private and high-tech hospitals. Chemotherapy is subject to a once-off excess payment per treatment course, while no excess applies to radiotherapy.

The Oncotype DX test, which could help women diagnosed with breast cancer avoid unnecessary chemotherapy is covered on selected Irish Life Health insurance plans The test helps Oncologists predict the benefit of chemotherapy for particular patients diagnosed with early stage breast cancer.

This procedure is available at the Hermitage Clinic, Dublin and is a test for people with advanced cancer. It uses comprehensive genomic profiling to search genes for cancer-relevant mutations in the DNA of your tumor. The results of the test may help you and your doctor explore treatment options.

Under this benefit we will contribute towards the costs of hotel or bed and breakfast accommodation where you have to stay in a hotel or bed and breakfast to enable you to receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy in a public or private hospital.

You can get some cover for inpatient and day case chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy in private and high-tech hospitals

Under this benefit we will cover the cost of a Medicall ambulance when it is medically necessary, where it is required to transfer you between medical facilities or from a medical facility to a convalescence home covered under your plan.

Under this benefit we will cover the costs of a home nursing service where you require medically necessary treatment, it is recommended by your oncologist and you wish to have your treatment at home.

List would include:

- CVAD Management (line care)

- Pre and post oncology blood tests to determine if treatment can go ahead as planned

- Administration of subcutaneous chemo drugs

- Administration of white cell boosters (neulasta/ Nupogen ) – needs to be administered 24-48 hours post chemo depending on cycle

- Chemo disconnections where the treatment is connected in hospital and needs disconnection 48-72 hours later, depending on the treatment type

- Administration of clotting injections (risk with chemo)

You can claim back some of the cost of home nursing where it is received immediately after you have been discharged from an in-patient stay in a medical facility covered under your plan.

Our Elective Overseas Referral benefits cover some of the cost of having a surgical procedure performed abroad. All elective medical care received abroad must be pre-authorised by Irish Life Health. See the “How to Claim” section of the table below for details of how to have your elective overseas medical care pre-authorised by us.

Receiving a cancer diagnosis is never easy. So among the many benefits available on your plan, you can receive can claim back some of the costs of psycho-oncology counselling (counselling received after in-patient or day-case chemotherapy) where it is carried out by a psychologist* and you have been referred to the psychologist* by your consultant.

You can claim back some of the cost of attending a psychotherapist* or a counsellor*, or to claim back some of the costs of consultations with a practitioner at the Dean Clinic.

Since chemotherapy or radiotherapy sometimes affects fertility, some measures like egg or sperm freezing can offer reassurance before you undergo these treatments.

- Egg freezing cover*

We will contribute towards the cost of fertility preservation through our Egg Freezing cover. This benefit can be used with any provider; you need to pay the provider yourself and submit the receipt to Irish Life Health.

- Sperm freezing cover*

Sperm freezing is the most successful method of preserving a man's fertility so he can try to have children at a later date. We will contribute towards the cost of sperm freezing with any provider, just submit your receipt to us to for claim for this benefit.

You can tap into the expertise of many healthcare professionals to accelerate your recovery. Whether you’d benefit from the services of dietitians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists or any other experts included in your plan, we’d encourage you to make the most of your cover. Please see our Directory of Allied Health Professionals, Alternative (Complementary) and Other Practitioners in section 11.1 of this Membership Handbook for details of the qualifications and registrations which each practitioner must hold.

Under this benefit we will cover the costs of a home nursing service where you require medically necessary treatment, it is recommended by your oncologist and you wish to have your treatment at home. Treatments include: Post-operative wound care; Intravenous antibiotics; CVAD management; Phlebotomy

50% of the cost (up to €1,000) of a post-mastectomy prosthesis is available with no excess.

If you need a wig after chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, 50% of its cost (up to €1,000) is covered, with no excess.

You may need to spend some time in a convalescent home following treatment. If so you can claim back some of the cost of a stay in a convalescence home for a specified number of days in your policy year.

The daily chores at home can be hard to manage following cancer treatment. Following certain procedures, we can cover the cost of domestic support provided by Myhomecare where you have undergone a treatment or procedure which is set out in the List of Post-Operative Home Help (POHH) Procedures in a medical facility covered under your plan.

While it’s important to eat well following treatment, it can be hard to cook for yourself. You can claim a contribution from us towards the cost of a nutritious home meal delivery service when recovering after you have undergone a procedure that is listed on the List of Post-Operative Home Help (POHH) Procedures. The meals must be developed by a nutritionist or dietician.

You can claim back some of the costs of treatment provided by a full member of Manual Lymph Drainage Ireland or a physiotherapist registered with CORU.