The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has set a P100,000 benefit payment for members and dependents with early stage breast cancer that covers hospitalization, treatment and professional fees.
In a statement, PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Dr. Eduardo Banzon said women should undergo timely detection and treatment because these are important in the patient’s survival.
Breast cancer is the number one leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the Philippines. Department of Health (DOH) data said breast cancer accounts for nearly 30 percent of all cancer cases among Filipino women. The other common cancers among women are cancers of the cervix, ovary, thyroid and the lung.
Also, one out of four Filipino women diagnosed with breast cancer die in five years, and four out of 10 die within a decade, the Department of Health noted.
“With at least 10,000 new breast cancer cases detected every year, the Philippines now has the highest incidence of the disease in Southeast Asia, and the ninth highest worldwide,” the PhilHealth statement said.
Banzon said members and dependents with early stage breast cancer may avail of the P100,000-benefit package in any following PhilHealth-contracted hospitals nationwide: Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, East Avenue Medical Center, Philippine General Hospital, Rizal Medical Center, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, Baguio General Hospital, Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center, Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center Cagayan Valley Medical Center, Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center, Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital, Batangas Regional Hospital, Bicol Regional Teaching and Training Hospital, Bicol Medical Center; Western Visayas Medical Center, Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Hospital, and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Northern Mindanao Medical Center, Southern Philippines Medical Center, and the Davao Regional Hospital.
Meanwhile, PhilHealth is still negotiating with private hospitals to serve as additional contracted facilities for the benefit package.
Source: Manila Bulletin
Photos: (beta.taopo.org)
