Cancer insurance was not designed to replace a traditional health insurance but to compliment it by paying for treatment-related expenses not be covered by your policy. There are two ways in which this insurance works:

• With most plans, you will receive a lump sum of money if diagnosed with cancer which you can use for both medical costs and normal living expenses. You essentially use the money any way you choose to make up for lost wages, deductibles, and co-pays.
• Less commonly, a policy may provide coverage for cancer-related expenses above and beyond what your primary health policy covers. What is actually covered can vary enormously and may, at times, have the same exclusions as those in your primary plan.