Facing a serious illness like cancer or severe chronic illness comes with unique struggles that patients are forced to solve along the way as well as focusing on their own wellbeing.

However, for those who have faced illness in the past, recovery may be only the first hoop they have to jump through as they find difficulty accessing services like life insurance and bank loans.

For first-time prospective home-owners, a bank loan may be the only avenue possible to purchase a property, for which a life insurance policy is required to cover the loan.

However, for survivors of illnesses like cancer, insurance brokers are reluctant to provide cover and those that do provide normally charge exorbitantly higher rates in the perceived risk that illnesses may return throughout the applicant’s lifetime.

Jacob Cachia

Sarah Cachia, whose son Jacob suffered meningoencephalitis aged 13, said she had to sell the family home and reinvest in apartments for her son to be able to own his own home, despite making a full recovery and going on to run his own business.

“This is an unfair but true situation. The bank told me my son is “high risk”, because his brain trauma puts him in danger of hydrocephalus or hemorrhaging,” Cachia said.

“No life insurance will cover him. He saved his disability pension for a deposit on a flat in the hopes of one day having an independent life only to be told he would never own a home.

“I went on to sell my home and put a deposit on a duplex maisonette, which we will be splitting into two flats to allow my son to have a flat beneath us.

“It was a sacrifice of course, but what mother wouldn’t do her utmost to help her child move on in life?”

Paul

Paul*, age 40, who works as a medical professional, was diagnosed with localised melanoma in 2016. After surgery, the cancer was extracted completely, and follow up intervention to see whether it had reached his lymph nodes came back all-clear. He was given a clean bill of health.

However, in April, while applying for a home loan with his wife, the couple faced difficulties because of Paul’s medical history.

Paul was quoted life insurance policies to cover home loan at rates almost quadruple the standard fare.

“Saying we were disappointed is an understatement, especially since I am almost completely done with hospital appointments. If I had an ongoing health issue I would understand not taking the risk, but it isn’t the case,” Paul said.

“Survivors already go through a tough time. It is true that insurance companies are after a profit but offering life insurance at an achievable price could give a lot of courage, not just to purchase a property but to move on.”

Maria Agius

“I was born with a chronic illness, which is already unfair, but people like me just don’t get a chance at purchasing a home,” 27-year-old Maria Agius told Times of Malta.

Born with kidney failure, Maria spent her early years travelling between hospitals in Malta and London. After a childhood marred by medical procedures, including dialysis, a failed kidney transplant, being wheelchair-bound for two years and using crutches throughout most of her adolescence, a second transplant in 2013 turned things around for her.

“I had a very rocky start, but now I’m at my healthiest and fittest. I do pole, aerial hoop, aerial yoga and paddle boarding. I’m completely independent and have lived autonomously my entire adult life,” Maria says.

“It’s complete nonsense to know I will never be eligible for a home loan. I went through one round of asking and found nothing but obstacles.

“Life is unpredictable, and these things should really be evaluated on a macro level. I’m lucky that I’m quite independent and gutsy, but there are those who are not.

“For those born with an illness, life often means going in between hospitals abroad, with parents struggling to hold jobs and keep their children alive. Adding the prospect of never being able to own your own home is just the snowball effect of things never going right for these families, on top of trying to survive getting sick.

“Just to give us a chance, a blanket ban is ridiculous. A chronic illness isn’t a death sentence. It’s just another problem in life.”  

Amy

Amy*, 39, who met her husband while they both attended university, had their lives derailed when her now-husband was diagnosed with cancer.

“We were at the time already making plans to buy a place together and get married, but our focus then became for my husband to win the battle against cancer,” Amy said.

“After years of transplants and treatment, he was well enough again and after he had been in full-time employment for a while we thought we could get on with our lives.

“We were first quoted a bank loan based on our combined salaries, but after my husband’s medical history came to light, we were told he would not be covered by a life insurance policy and would prohibit us from a loan.

“We tried to get him insured, but even after 10 years in remission, no one would insure him, not even at a higher premium. Eventually, we had to settle for a loan based on what would be covered in a life insurance policy issued in my name, significantly reducing our budget.

“There is a lot of help out there for people who are ill, but we rarely stop to consider what consequences can be after that. My husband isn’t considered to have a disability and was ineligible for virtually any scheme related to housing,” she continues.

“I understand that insurance companies have their policies, but after someone has gone through hell and back to fight cancer, the last thing you want is to keep on finding closed doors.”

* Names have been changed.