Beware of the Risks of Relying on Publicly Funded Cancer Treatment
The average survival for a Kiwi patient with advanced breast cancer is just 16 months, compared with two to three years, or more, in countries like Australia, Germany and France*.
This is a horrifying statistic so why in NZ, a first world country are we so disadvantaged? Because of the severe under funding of PHARMAC, the government agency that determines which pharmaceuticals to publicly fund in New Zealand.
New Zealand ranks 19th out of 20 OECD countries for the number of new medicines registered and launched through Pharmac. Between 2010 and 2015, only 12 new cancer medicines were added to Pharmac’s funding list, whereas across the Tasman, Australia funded 66 new medicines in the same period.
With more than 23,000 New Zealanders diagnosed with cancer last year, more than 9,000 are expected to die. Cancer is our biggest killer and causes 30% of all mortality in New Zealand.
The Mulholland family share their story with Stuff about their ongoing battle for access to proven cancer fighting drugs. It’s sad to think that at a time when you’d want to spend as much quality time with your loved ones, you’re having to fight the system to help keep you alive.
So what can I do?
Some private health insurers provide funding for non-PHARMAC funded drugs. However, not all providers do so check your policy to find out if you would be covered. Also, know the limits as to how much they will pay, some new cancer drugs cost in excess of $200,000 and may not be entirely funded by your provider.
Can’t afford private health insurance? Consider critical illness cover. This is a lump sum paid out in the event of a major critical illness, such as cancer, which you can choose to put towards treatment costs. It can be much more affordable than private health cover and for a small additional cost, you can get the kids covered too.
To find out how you can protect yourself and your loved ones with insurance that will give you the best chance of survival from cancer, contact me to discuss your options.