PhilHealth: P654-M benefits distributed to cancer patients

Manila: The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has distributed PHP654,000,000 worth of benefits to cancer patients so far. PhilHealth Quality Assurance Group Vice President Francisco Soria Jr. said Friday the amount has served 7,475 patients based on claims filed since 2012. While the exact cost of treatment varies according to the type of cancer, Soria said the PhilHealth offers Z benefit packages for cancer care treatment. "In the case of breast cancer, merong hormone therapy, tapos kailangan din ng surveillance sa kanila (then surveillance is also needed for them). So for example, targeted therapy for breast cancer, it costs one million pesos," he said during a media forum in Quezon City. In May, PhilHealth has increased its package for breast cancer patients to PHP1.4 million for stages 0 to 4 of the disease. It covers the different components of breast cancer management: diagnosis up to PHP14,900; surgery up to PHP140,000; chemotherapy up to PHP198,000 for the whole treatment cours e; hormone therapy, up to PHP36,000 per year; for targeted therapy PHP1,000,000 per year that constitutes 18 cycles of targeted therapy; and surveillance up to PHP 14,000 per year. "The good thing about surveillance is that it is good for the whole lifetime of the patient," Soria said. "Maliban diyan meron ho tayong all case rates (ACR) benefits. Kung wala 'yung cancer dun sa anim na may Z benefits, 'yun pong cancer na 'yun ay covered naman ng ACR benefits (Apart from that, we have all case rates benefits. If the cancer is not among the six cancers with Z benefits, it will be covered by ACR)," he added. PhilHealth has Z benefits packages for childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia, breast cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer and rectal cancer. Last Feb. 14, the ACR packages increased by 30 percent. PhilHealth is also planning an additional increase to ACR benefits and enhance the benefit package rates for cervical and prostate cancer. Source: Philippines News Agency