sat hey,
as
Republic of the Philippines RECEIVED
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

5387

House Bill No.

INTRODUCED BY HONORABLE LIANDA B. BOLILIA.

AN ACT
MANDATING THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH INSURANCE CORPORATION TO
PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES FOR BREAST,
CERVICAL, AND PROSTATE CANCER, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article II, Section 15 of the Constitution provides that the State shall protect and
promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.
In pursuit of this policy, it is the objective of the Philippine Health Insurance
Corporation (PhilHealth) to continuously endeavor to improve its benefit package to
meet the needs of its members. It is in this light that this bill seeks to provide coverage
for the diagnostic services for breast, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer.

‘The Philippines has the highest incidence of breast cancer and breast cancer
mortality rate in Asia.! An estimated 3 out of 100 Filipino women will contract the
disease before age 75; 1 out of 100 will die before age 75, according to the Philippine
Society of Medical Oncology in 20122 This complements the Department of Health
and Philippine Cancer Society, Inc. report, which states that breast cancer is the most
common cancer in the country, comprising 16 percent of the 80,000 new cancer cases
in 2010.

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death among Filipino women.
Approximately 12 Filipino women die of cervical cancer every day. About 6,000
women are diagnosed with the disease every year and about 4,349 die of the disease

+ http://www. pfizer.com/files/ products/cancer_in_asia.pdf (March 8, 2017)
2 http://www. gmanetwork.com/news/ story /329126/cbb/ phl--has-highest-breast-cancer-rate-in-
asia#tsthash.k76Yyrl4.dpuf (March 8, 2017).


annually.* Yet cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. It most cases,
cervical cancer can be prevented through early detection tests such as Pap Smear.

Among the Asian countries, the Philippines has the highest mortality rate for
prostate cancer (13 per 100,000), a rate slightly less than that in the United States (16
per 100,000).! When patients are diagnosed, it is already in the late stage, more
commonly at stages 3 or 4 prostate cancer. For early detection, the U.S. Food and Drug,
Administration (FDA) approved the use of prostate-specific-antigen (PSA) in cancer
screening.> The Philippine Urological Association, meanwhile, recommended annual
screening with digital rectal exam (DRE) and PSA.‘ However, due to economic
challenges and lack of awareness, Filipino males have low early detection rate.

Based on the above data, there is a correlation between the time of detection
and the odds of survival for individuals afflicted with this dreaded disease. Cancer
that is diagnosed at an early stage and before it spreads, is more likely to be treated
successfully. It is but urgent to include diagnostic services for breast, cervical, and
prostate cancer under PhilHealth’s benefit package program. This bill aims to save
lives and improve survival of cancer patients.

Tn view of the foregoing, the immediate enactment and approval of this bill is
earnestly sought.

y,
LIAI B/BOLILIA

Représentafive
4% District, Batangas

http://www. pehrd.dost.gov.ph/index.php/news/library-health-news/1771-cervical-cancer-
‘dlence-in-the-country-still-high (March 9, 2017).

http://www pfizer.com/files/ products/cancer_in_asia.pdf (March 8, 2017).

5 http://www. pehrd.dost.gov.ph/index.php/news/r-d-updates/3208-study-reveals-increasing-
incidence-of-prostate-cancer-in-developing-countries (March 9, 2017).

Ibid,



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

387

er)
House Bill No.

INTRODUCED BY HONORABLE LIANDA B. BOLILIA.

AN ACT
MANDATING THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH INSURANCE CORPORATION TO
PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES FOR BREAST,
CERVICAL, AND PROSTATE CANCER, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
Assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Breast, Cervical, and

Prostate Cancer Protection Act”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared as the policy of the State to
adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall
endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to
everyone at an affordable cost. Priority for the needs of the underprivileged sick,

elderly, disabled, women and children, shall be recognized.

SECTION 3. Breast, Cervical, and Prostate Cancer Diagnostic Coverage. - The National
Health Insurance Corporation (hereinafter referred to as PhilHealth) is hereby
directed to include diagnostic services for breast cancer, cervical cancer, and prostate
cancer in its benefits package. The expenses for the diagnostic services shall be covered
by PhilHealth.


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The diagnostic services shall include but are not limited to Clinical Breast Exam
(CBE), Ultrasound, and Thermal Breast Imaging for breast cancer, Pap Smear Testing
for cervical cancer, and Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and Digital Rectal
Exam (DRE) for prostate cancer, whichever is applicable as determined by the

physician

SECTION 4. Funding. - The amount necessary for the effective implementation of this
Act shall be based on the evaluated and adjusted cost-sharing schedule and cost
containment features of the PhilHealth, as determined by the same on the basis of

applicable actuarial studies.

SECTION 5. Implementing Rules. - The PhilHealth shall promulgate the rules and

regulations necessary for the effective enforcement of the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 6. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part thereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or provision not otherwise affected shall

remain valid and subsisting.

SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, and issuances, or portions
thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed,
amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 3. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 5 its

publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,