Critical illness cover is set to become more expensive due to a sharp rise in the number of claims.
Concerns are growing over the future direction of pricing in the sector. Norwich Union recently increased the rates on its critical-illness policies by around 40%.
In addition, several large wholesale insurers including Swiss Re have revealed they will start reviewing premiums regularly.
Much of the market is expected to follow suit as Swiss Re now accounts for 60% of the critical illness market.
Swiss Re's life and health insurance chief executive told The Independent that some firms may be forced into increasing premiums by up to 50%.
Legal and General's Ronnie Martin said: "We are continuing to provide guaranteed prices at the moment, but premiums will have to increase over the next two years and review-able rates are likely to return."
The explosion in the number of claims is largely due to claims from people who would not have been deemed critically ill under traditional definitions.
Detection of early-stage prostate cancer has become so acute that the ABI is set to exclude it from its critical illness list.
