Health insurance not only helps reduce medical examination and treatment costs but also expands access to medicines, modern diagnostic and treatment techniques, especially for people with dangerous diseases.
The sharp pain in her arm took Ms. Ha Tu Uyen (26 years old, from Phu Tho) to the hospital and received the result that she had lymphoma in her biceps. After more than 5 years working as a worker at Quang Minh Industrial Park (Hanoi), she was forced to quit her job to focus on treatment. In two years of illness, she had undergone three surgeries.
With a meager worker's salary, the money saved for many years quickly ran out after the first surgery. After 7 months of recurrence for the 2nd time, she continued to step onto the operating table. By the third surgery, the treatment cost amounted to more than 70 million VND, becoming a heavy burden for the family.
By the second surgery, the family's economy was almost exhausted. My parents had to borrow money from the bank to have money for my treatment. Fortunately, there was health insurance, so each surgery was supported with about 30 million VND. If there was no health insurance, my family would really not know how to manage" - Ms. Uyen emotionally shared.
Not only Ms. Uyen, Mr. Nguyen Huy Hoang (35 years old, Bac Ninh) also fell into a very difficult situation. Two years ago, he was diagnosed with liver cancer, while his wife had been treated for thyroid cancer for three years, causing the burden of illness to weigh on the whole family at the same time.
As a worker at a packaging factory, Mr. Hoang fully participates in health insurance. Thanks to that, each treatment course at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, Bach Mai Hospital, costs are significantly reduced.
What I am most happy about is that health insurance is increasingly expanding benefits. Many modern techniques such as PET/CT scans have been paid in many cases, and some cancer drugs have also been added to the payment list" - Mr. Hoang said.
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Cam Phuong, Director of the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, Bach Mai Hospital, each treatment regimen is built based on many factors such as the stage of the disease, type of pathopathology, gene mutation, biomarker and physical condition of each patient.
Doctors will choose the most appropriate treatment method for each patient. Targeted treatment not only improves efficiency but also reduces side effects and limits complications" - Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Cam Phuong said.
Along with the development of medicine, HI policy is also being adjusted in the direction of expanding benefits for cancer patients. Many diagnostic and in-depth testing techniques have been added to the payment list, helping patients access advanced treatment methods at lower costs.
Notably, health insurance has expanded the coverage for PET/CT scans in the diagnosis of recurrence or metastasis of some types of cancer such as: gallbladder cancer, testicular cancer, oral cavity cancer, melanoma, neuroblastoma and stomach cancer. At the same time, many tumor marker tests and molecular biology tests such as CA 125, CA 15-3, CA 72-4, SCC or HER2 gene mutation tests are also supplemented in eligible cases.
Updating with more modern technical and testing services not only helps improve treatment quality but also significantly reduces the financial burden for patients. For many families, health insurance is not simply an insurance card, but truly becomes a "backing point" for them to persistently pursue the journey to regain life against cancer.
