By Ma. Teresa Montemayor | Philippine News Agency
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will cover selected outpatient cancer screening tests under its new Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) starting Aug. 14 in a bid to reduce cancer-related deaths and ease the financial burden on Filipino families.
In a news release on Friday, President and Chief Executive Officer Edwin Mercado said the new benefit package will encourage more Filipinos to undergo timely screening.
“Sa pamamagitan ng bagong benepisyong ng PhilHealth para sa outpatient cancer screening, mas pinalawak natin ang akses ng bawat Pilipino sa maagang pagtuklas ng kanser,” he said.
He added it will make early detection tests for breast, lung, liver, and colorectal cancers more accessible to members nationwide.
The new package was launched at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center in Manila, one of PhilHealth’s accredited screening facilities.
Under YAKAP, PhilHealth will cover:
- Mammogram – P2,610
- Breast ultrasound – P1,350
- Low-dose chest CT scan – P7,220
- Alpha Fetoprotein – P1,230
- Liver ultrasound – P960
- Colonoscopy – P23,640
To avail of the benefit, members must register at a PhilHealth YAKAP Clinic, undergo a medical assessment, and secure a doctor’s prescription referring them to an accredited cancer screening facility.
The state insurer said it supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s push for Universal Health Care, as outlined in his fourth State of the Nation Address.
Estimates showed that cancer-related premature deaths, especially among family breadwinners, cost the economy about P35.3 billion annually.
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the Philippines, with Globocan 2022 reporting nearly 189,000 new cases and over 113,000 deaths.
According to the World Health Organization, early detection can boost survival rates up to 99% for breast cancer and over 90% for cervical cancer.
