'Embrace Time' cancer advocacy for employees launched

MANILA, Philippines - To many, the word “cancer” is considered synonymous with the word “death.” With a high cancer death toll coupled with the inability of many to afford cancer treatment, cancer has claimed the lives of many Filipinos.

Based on the 2010 Philippine Cancer Facts and Estimates published by the Philippine Cancer Society, breast cancer was the most common type of cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among Filipino women in 2010.

On the other hand, World Health Organization data showed that lung cancer is the top cause of cancer-related deaths in the Philippines. It is the most common cancer in men and third most common in women.

Studies show that when diagnosed early and treated properly, cancer can be cured. Cancers of the lung, liver, cervix, oral cavity, stomach, colon, rectum, and skin melanoma in both sexes can be prevented. Additionally, cancers of the breast, cervix, colon, rectum, oral, thyroid, and prostate can be detected early and when treated properly, can be cured.

However, due to the fact that screening and detection methods, as well as treatment are expensive, many patients do not get the diagnosis early and inevitably cannot afford the medication necessary.

With the high incidence of cancer and cancer-related deaths, the need for greater health coverage to include protection against cancer is more pronounced than ever.

As daunting as the medical challenge is in overcoming cancer, a big part of the battle is also anchored on a patient’s financial means to afford treatment.

In the Philippines, much of the dread associated with cancer comes from the ready acknowledgement that for the vast majority of Filipinos, the cost of treatment is simply not within their means. For the Filipinos who rely solely on the National Insurance System support, funds would have long been exhausted even before treatment can commence.

Even for the small minority who are fortunate to have access to health maintenance organization (HMO) programs, experience has shown that their coverage limits are consumed far before full treatment can be completed.

The reality in the Philippines, as far as cancer is concerned, is many more die from the disease because treatment was not even started at all. The death sentence that many view cancer with is associated as much with the medical nature of the disease as it is with the financial situation each citizen is confronted with.

Cognizant of the situation and focused on helping the government improve access to cancer treatment, industry giants Philam Life representing the funder, five leading HMOs representing the distributors, and Roche Philippines representing the medical information provider in the health care ecosystem have launched a groundbreaking campaign: Embrace Time Cancer Advocacy.

The collaboration involves a pioneering effort to combat cancer from two critical dimensions of treatment and financing.

The Embrace Time cancer advocacy seeks to extend this program to the largest segment of the Filipino population and will endeavor to establish the mechanisms and platforms necessary so that every Filipino can gain access to the financial infrastructure which in turn guarantees that he can afford the cost of treatment against cancer.

Philam Life, partner HMOs Intellicare, Maxicare, Medicard, PhilCare, and ValuCare, along with advocacy partners Roche, People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP), L’Oreal Philippines, Magnolia Lifedrink, and Insight TechSystems are introducing the country’s first Group Cancer Insurance Program.

Offered to companies, institutions, and other groups primarily through the HMO partners, the cancer plan provides higher health coverage at affordable premiums by pooling the risks of a large group of people to subsidize the needs of individuals in the group who might develop cancer.

The Group Cancer Insurance Program is offered as an added inclusion to the existing HMO insurance coverage packages offered by employer-sponsored HMOs.

For additional information about the Group Cancer Insurance Program, call 528-2000 or (0917) 855-3117.