Cancer Coverage of HMO Plans: Treatment and Surgery Benefits

Cancer may be scary but with a reliable health card, medical expenses can be reduced. Take a look at the cancer coverage of HMOs in the Philippines.

Cancer Coverage By HMO

Most health cards in the Philippines can cover the basic medical services given to a cancer patient. Initially, surgery may be covered up to your MBL. Here are some of the common benefits:

• Surgery costs – up to MBL of your account
• Doctor’s fees for check up – covered by most health cards
• Surgeon’s fee – up to MBL of your health card
• Room and Board – covered based on your plan, from semi-private to regular private
• Diagnostics – there is a limitation to the covered amount usually up to Php 5,000

Top HMO With Cancer Benefits

The best HMO for cancer may only be identified based on your needs and type of disease. We’ve gathered some of the options for you to maximize your benefits.

• Caritas Health Shield
• Maxicare
• Medicard
• Etiqa

Remember that most HMOs will consider any forms of cancer as a dreaded disease or pre-existing condition. When you apply for a health card, always read the fine print about what expenses are covered.

You may want to know the HMO coverage for pre-existing conditions to know your plan’s limitations.

Other Options

If HMO has limitations on cancer, what are my options? This is where health insurance may help. Sure, they are expensive to pay but the benefits later on will save you from hospital bill headaches. Health insurance policies may cover you up to Php 2 million. Some of the covered expenses are:

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Ongoing physical therapy
• Medication
• Daily hospitalization benefits
• Waiver of premium

In one instance, my cousin had to undergo chemotherapy at a price of Php 8,000 per session. Her HMO covered the first 3 sessions which is a good benefit after all.

Cancer is among the most common diseases affecting Filipinos. PNA reported that it is the third leading cause of death in the country. Due to its common occurrence, many people are having a hard time paying for their hospital and treatment bills.

You see, the decision to avail HMO or health insurance will be based on your budget. Even though HMOs have limitations for cancer, you can still rely on them for immediate payment of services covered by your plan.