Breast cancer awareness, sure. But breast cancer insurance?

All this thinking pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month is enough to make almost anyone anxious about getting breast cancer — and that bodes well for providers of supplemental cancer insurance. But don’t plunk down your money just yet.

The National Assn. of Insurance Commissioners says buying such coverage should be carefully evaluated: “While three in 10 Americans will get cancer over a lifetime, seven in 10 will not. In any one year, only one American in 250 will get cancer. The odds are against you receiving any benefits from a cancer policy. Be sure you know what conditions must be met before the policy will start to pay your bills.”

Download the entire free guide at “A Shopper’s Guide to Cancer Insurance.”

Read more about the pros and cons of cancer insurance in the Chicago Tribune story “Need for cancer insurance disputed.”

-- Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times