Life after cancer should not be accompanied by lifelong financial exclusion
For many decades, completing cancer treatment did not always mean the end of obstacles for those who had been diagnosed with the disease. Years after their treatment, many survivors continued to face higher insurance premiums, denied insurance applications, and difficulties accessing financial services.A history of cancer could act as a permanent “stigma,” even many years after treatment had ended.
Thus, medical progress and a return to daily life were not always accompanied by corresponding social and economic rehabilitation.
With Law No. 5317/2026, published on July 10, 2026, Greece is moving forward with the legislative enshrinement of the so-called “Right to Be Forgotten” for cancer survivors, in the context of insurance contracts linked to consumer credit agreements. This specific provision is found in Article 16, paragraph 4, of the law.
What the new provision stipulates
The law prohibits the use of personal data related to a consumer’s cancer diagnosis when such data is to be used for an insurance contract linked to a credit agreement and five years have passed since the completion of treatment.
Simply put, once the five-year period has elapsed, a prior history of a cancer diagnosis cannot be used in this specific context as a factor in assessing the insurance contract accompanying the credit agreement. This represents a significant shift: individuals are no longer assessed indefinitely through the lens of a past
illness, but are given the opportunity to move forward with their lives without their previous diagnosis serving as a permanent obstacle.
The four key points of the new entitlement
The Right to be Forgotten does not mean that the diagnosis is deleted from the medical record. It means that, after the prescribed five-year period, data related to the cancer diagnosis may not be used for that specific insurance purpose.
Fourth, special oversight is provided for.
The Personal Data Protection Authority is responsible for enforcing paragraph 4 of Article 16 and possesses the supervisory and auditing powers provided for by the General Data Protection Regulation.
What the New Regulation Does Not Cover
Accurate information is particularly important so that citizens are aware of both their rights and the actual
limits of the protection provided.
The new legislative provision:
- does not apply to all forms of private insurance,
- does not automatically guarantee the approval of a loan or an insurance application,
- does not cover credit agreements secured by a mortgage on real property,
- does not cover credit intended for the purchase or retention of rights in real estate,
does not cover professional or business loans, as the law applies to consumers acting outside the
scope of their professional or business activities.
Furthermore, consumer credit agreements already in effect as of November 20, 2026, will, as a general rule, continue to be governed by the previous legal framework until their expiration.
Therefore, the new regulation represents a very important step, but it does not yet provide comprehensive coverage of all the financial and insurance needs of survivors.
From Voluntary Commitment to Legal Enshrinement
The Right to Be Forgotten did not first appear in Greece in 2026. As of March 26, 2024, the Code of Ethics of the Hellenic Association of Insurance Companies has been in effect, to which life insurance companies had adhered.
The Code applied to life insurance policies linked to mortgage, business, or consumer loans, with a maximum total insured amount of 300,000 euros. It provided for a ten-year period following the completion of treatment for those diagnosed as adults and a five-year period for those diagnosed before
turning 18.
The new legislation is particularly significant because protection is no longer based exclusively on the insurance industry’s voluntary commitment. For contracts falling within its scope, the failure to use the oncological diagnosis after the five-year period becomes a legal obligation.
At the same time, there is a need to clarify the relationship between the new law and the existing Code, particularly with regard to mortgage and business loans that are not subject to the new legislative provision.
Additional Safeguards for Consumers
Article 16 includes other important safeguards. When insurance is required for the granting of credit, the creditor must accept equivalent insurance coverage from an insurance company of the consumer’s choice. Choosing a different company must not result in less favorable credit terms.
At the same time, the consumer is given a period of at least three business days to compare insurance quotes, unless the consumer requests in writing that the contract be concluded earlier.
The European Dimension
The Greek regulation transposes Directive (EU) 2023/2225 on consumer credit agreements. The European
Directive requires Member States to establish a time limit beyond which data related to oncological
diagnoses may not be used for insurance policies linked to credit agreements. The European text stipulated that this period must not exceed fifteen years; Greece opted for the significantly shorter period of five years.
This choice has particular social significance. It recognizes that advances in oncology, increased survival rates, and people’s return to family, social, and professional life must be accompanied by corresponding
developments in the law.
When Does It Take Ef ect?
Although Law No. 5317/2026 has already been published, the provisions of Part A, which include the
Right to Be Forgotten, will take effect on November 20, 2026.
Until then, substantial preparation is required on the part of banks, insurance companies, and the relevant
authorities. Clear procedures, understandable information for citizens, appropriate staff training, and an
easily accessible mechanism for submitting reports or complaints are needed.
A Significant Achievement—Not the End of the Journey
The Right to Be Forgotten represents a significant institutional victory for dignity and equality. Cancer
should not be a lifelong social and economic stigma. A person’s medical history should not negate their
right to plan for the future, participate equally in society, and make a fresh start.
At the same time, the new regulation must be viewed as a starting point, not the culmination of our
efforts. The next step must be to extend meaningful protection to more insurance and financial products,
including housing needs, as well as to address the discrimination that continues to occur in the workplace
and other aspects of social life.
Scientific progress has transformed cancer from a terminal diagnosis into an experience of life and
survival for millions of people. Society and the law must follow suit.
Because the Right to Be Forgotten is not a privilege. It is every person’s right not to remain forever
trapped by a past diagnosis—and to move forward into the future without discrimination, without
stigma, and with dignity.
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