As Breast Cancer Awareness Month ends, Insular Life Assurance Co. Ltd. (InLife) is urging Filipinos to prioritize preventive check-ups and reassess their health insurance, highlighting how the costs of serious illnesses can quickly exceed hospitalization benefits.
The insurer said financial preparation should account not only for hospital admissions but also for diagnostic tests, treatment, follow-up consultations, monitoring scans and maintenance medications that may continue long after initial treatment.
Through its InLife Global Care plan, the company offers up to P125 million in annual health coverage, with access to accredited hospitals, clinics and specialists in the Philippines and abroad. Benefits include eligible outpatient consultations, diagnostic scans and monitoring therapies, alongside cashless services through supported providers, subject to policy conditions.
The plan also provides guaranteed annual renewability until age 99 and worldwide emergency coverage of up to P12.5 million outside the selected coverage area, subject to policy terms.
“Healthcare confidence is knowing that when a serious medical situation happens, you have choices, resources, and someone you can rely on to help you move forward,” said Jose Eduardo O. Ang, InLife chief product and innovation officer.
The financial exposure is illustrated by the experience of Fay Cuadra, InLife University senior assistant vice president and business development head, whose routine executive check-up detected a breast abnormality despite the absence of noticeable symptoms.
Cuadra, who recently marked one year with No Evidence of Disease, spent about P800,000 on breast surgery and another P585,000 on radiation therapy. Her initial diagnostic procedures had already exhausted her health maintenance organization’s inpatient limits.
“Your HMO, group hospitalization coverage, and individual insurance policies may have different benefits, limits, and conditions. It is important to understand how these work together and identify any gaps in your protection,” Cuadra said.
Her experience underscores the importance of reviewing existing benefits before a medical emergency arises, particularly as treatment costs extend beyond a single hospital stay.
InLife urged consumers to make preventive screening a priority while examining how employer-sponsored benefits, HMOs and individual insurance policies complement one another to help cover the full course of care.
