PhilHealth To Provide Free Breast Cancer Test from July Onwards
PHILHEALTH – The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will give free breast cancer screenings to women starting in July.
Starting in July, women will gain access to free mammogram and breast ultrasound screenings annually through a breast cancer prevention and detection program administered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.
Speaker Martin Romualdez revealed that PhilHealth President and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. conveyed this initiative during a recent meeting, following Romualdez’s advocacy for free breast cancer detection tests.
Ledesma assured Romualdez of PhilHealth’s dedication to fulfilling this commitment, with services slated to commence in July. Romualdez commended PhilHealth for its prompt action, highlighting the significance of this development for Filipino women, particularly during Women’s Month.
“Early detection is key in addressing various health concerns, and by removing financial barriers to these essential services, PhilHealth is helping to save lives and promote a healthier future for our women,” he said.
Romualdez emphasized the importance of early detection in addressing health concerns, acknowledging PhilHealth’s role in saving lives and promoting women’s health by eliminating financial barriers to essential services.
Furthermore, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa announced that he instructed PhilHealth to include ultrasound and mammogram services in its “Konsulta” benefits package, aiming for swift nationwide implementation. Herbosa underscored the significance of this move in ensuring sustainable financing for preventive health services, which can detect cancer and other conditions early, thereby alleviating the burden on higher-level hospitals within the healthcare provider network.
“This will ensure sustainable financing of preventive health services that can catch cancer and other conditions early so that we can unload higher level hospitals within the health care provider network,” Herbosa said.
Earlier this month, PhilHealth increased the coverage for breast cancer in its benefits package to P1.4 million, marking a substantial rise from the previous coverage of P100,000.
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