Cancer Treatment Can Cost You ₹30 Lakh: Which Coverage to Choose? What is Cancer Insurance in India? It is a specialized health insurance policy for individuals. With the increasing number of new cancer cases in India, estimated at 18.7 lakh (1.87 million) in 2026 in a recent study, there is a growing need for protection against this financial risk. These cancer insurance policies are specifically designed to cover all cancer-related expenses and additional monetary risks incurred during the policy term. How Cancer Creates Financial Crisis Cancer is usually lengthy and expensive to treat. Its treatment always involves extended cycles of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, follow-up consultations, and monitoring, which are all difficult on the patient and their family. The entire journey can extend from a few months to several years. In a study, treatment expenses for early-stage cancer were found to be in the range of ₹5 lakh to ₹7 lakh per case. For later-stage and more complex cancers, the amount easily blew up to ₹20 lakh to ₹30 lakh or even more. And to make matters worse, many Indians end up paying around 3.3 lakh annually for Cancer treatment out of their own pockets, according to research conducted on more than 12,000 cancer patients at AIIMS Delhi, PGI Chandigarh, and Tata Memorial Centre Mumbai. In the same study, it was found that those diagnosed with cancer were more likely to suffer from Catastrophic Health Expenditure (CHE) and impoverishment than undergo hospitalization. To protect against such personal calamity, a cancer insurance policy is a must. And it is important to know how to choose one for your situation. How Much Coverage Should You Plan for? Choosing a cheap plan may be tempting, but choosing an insurance that rightly complements your existing general health insurance plan and can cover all your medical challenges can be extremely helpful in keeping away unnecessary distress. But to make matters easy, an insured sum of ₹10L to ₹35L is a good estimate. You can also calculate your coverage requirement using: Ideal Coverage = Expected treatment Cost + Income loss during treatment + Non-medical Costs As an example: Buy ₹35L or ₹50L coverage. Comparing Cancer Insurance Policies: Indemnity-based vs Benefit-based