More people are surviving cancer than ever before. But in Switzerland a historical diagnosis can follow former patients for years, especially when they try to take out income protection insurance. A campaign to allow a limited "Right to Be Forgotten" is trying to provide better financial security for thousands. When cancer treatment ends, patients hope to return to a “normal life” – work, perhaps a new job, and making plans for the future. Yet for many, despite their physical recovery, the illness resurfaces in an unexpected place: the health questionnaire of a private insurer. One ticked box can mean a refusal, sweeping exclusions, or premiums that put coverage – and financial security – out of reach. The “Right to Be Forgotten” (RTBF) is meant to prevent that from happening. At its core is a simple idea: after a defined period without a relapse, a historical cancer diagnosis should no longer be taken into account when assessing applications for insurance and other financial products.
