The Philippines is ranked first in breast cancer incidence in Asia. This means that one out of every 13 women in the coutntry is expected to develop breast cancer in her lifetime.
Rep. Alfredo Vargas III wants to do something about the alarming numbers. He vowed to re-file in the 17th Congress a bill which requires health insurance companies to provide coverage for a minimum hospital stay for mastectomies and other specific treatment for breast cancer, InterAksyon reports.
“Through this initiative, not only do we give breast cancer patients better chances of healing and survival but we are also sparing their families from dealing with the physical, emotional, and financial burdens that cancer brings to the family,” Vargas said.
House Bill 6477, which he filed in the 16th Congress, emphasized the importance of early screening and early detection to help cancer patients. If approved, it will ease the financial burden that comes with the disease.
In a nutshell, the bill seeks to require all health insurance companies to include a medical plan that covers mastectomies, lumpectomies, and lymph node dissection for the treatment of breast cancer.
