Manila: The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will cover selected outpatient cancer screening tests under its new Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) starting August 14, aiming to reduce cancer-related deaths and alleviate financial burdens on Filipino families.

According to Philippines News Agency, PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Edwin Mercado announced the new benefit package, which is expected to encourage more Filipinos to undergo timely screening. He emphasized that the initiative will significantly expand access to early cancer detection for various cancers, including breast, lung, liver, and colorectal cancers, across the nation.

The new package was officially launched at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center in Manila, one of PhilHealth's accredited screening facilities. Under the YAKAP program, PhilHealth will cover costs for several tests: mammograms at PHP2,610, breast ultrasounds at PHP1,350, low-dose chest CT scans at PHP7,220, alpha fetoprotein tests at PHP1,230, liver ultrasounds at PHP960, and colonoscopies at PHP23,640.

To benefit from the program, members are required to register at a PhilHealth YAKAP Clinic, undergo a medical assessment, and secure a doctor's prescription referring them to an accredited cancer screening facility. This initiative aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s advocacy for Universal Health Care, as highlighted in his fourth State of the Nation Address.

The economic impact of cancer-related premature deaths, particularly among family breadwinners, is significant, with estimates suggesting a cost of approximately PHP35.3 billion annually. Cancer continues to be a leading cause 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 dramatically improve survival rates, increasing them to 99 percent for breast cancer and over 90 percent for cervical cancer.