Do you insure your mortgage against breast cancer?

Access to real estate credit is often still a challenge, especially for people affected by cancer. Additional premiums, restrictions, exclusions of guarantees… Borrower insurance can become a real headache for patients. So, on the occasion of Pink October, it was important for us to share the solutions and systems proposed to support female cancer victims in their real estate project.

Although overcoming breast cancer is already a challenge in itself, the difficulties do not end there. Many women also face additional obstacles when seeking to borrow to buy one real estate.

Emilie paid the price. At the age of 33, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Five years after the end of her treatments, in remission, she launched herself full of hope into a real estate project with her partner. She did not expect such a welcome:

“We faced embarrassed professionals who retracted their statements. We were not told that my cancer was the problem, but we felt it was. A disastrous meeting with a bank manager was the trigger. He interrupted the conversation, would not even pretend His tone was very dry.”

Women who suffer from breast cancer are actually considered risk profiles by lending institutions. But without borrower’s insuranceimpossible to obtain financing.

Borrower insurance guarantees coverage of repayment terms, in whole or in part depending on the conditions. It protects the borrower in the event of unforeseen events (death, accident, illness, etc.).

But for former cancer patients, until recently, obtaining this insurance could be synonymous with denials, significant additional premiums or warranty restrictions.

ONE health questionnaireimposed by subscription, required borrowers to disclose their medical history, including if they had been in remission for several years. In the case of female breast cancer victims, this often led to increased insurance premiums or even denial of coverage, creating a significant financial barrier for people wanting to access property.

Because although borrower insurance is not mandatory on paper, it is often a prerequisite for the banks.

Fortunately, the situation that Emilie is experiencing is increasingly rare. The latest developments in legislation have paved the way for better inclusion with respect to access to property.

One of the biggest advances for former breast cancer patients (and any other type of cancer) is the establishment of the right to be forgotten. This device provided by AERA’s agreement (“Insure and borrow with a worsening health risk”) allows people whose therapeutic treatment has been completed for 5 years to no longer declare their cancer when taking out borrower insurance.

Thanks to this measure, former victims of breast cancer can access insurance without the risk of having their contract rejected or increased, facilitating their access to a home loan.

Another important step forward has been implemented for people with serious medical histories: The Lemoine Law.

This law, introduced in 2022, eliminates the health questionnaire for loans whose insured portion per borrower does not exceed €200,000. The only condition is that the loan is repaid before the borrower turns 60.

Although access to borrower insurance after breast cancer sometimes remains complex, the progress made in recent years offers real prospects for former patients. A hope so that everyone can achieve their life plans, regardless of their medical situation.