Health is no a joke, but these is the bitter thruth: in 2015, in the US only, 1.7 million people have been diagnosed with cancer.
Some of them could be cured by time; other, less luckly, had to front the costs of very expensive medicines.
Over the past 15 years, the family yearly expenses to treat a cancer has increased from $ 10,000 before 2000 up to $ 100,000 in 2012.
Nearly 20% of patients, unable to front costs so high, has decided to abandon the treatment.
This is why a good medical insurance may drive away the negative thoughts.
The situation in Europe is no different.
Only in Italy, for example, it happened that two drugs (pertuzumab and aflibercept) are considered over the counter drug, but the patient has to pay them by his credit card.
Not all medicines are reimbursed by the National Health Service. And what about we who lives abroad?
Here are three tips:
1. General prevention: according to most recent studies, the number of cancers would be reduced by one third by a proper lifestyle.
2. Primary prevention: undergoing at least once a year to a general medical screening control is an excellent strategy. A complete check-up allows us to quickly identify the occurrence of a specific disease and to avoid for a time its aggravation.
3. Medical insurance: in addition to prevention, is essential to find the right insurance which covers you abroad.
Therefore, you should double-check, preferably with the support of a your trusted risk manager or insurer- if the following main clinic expense sare covered by your medical coverage:
- chemotherapy
- radiotherapy
- administration of drugs against the advancement of the disease
- side diseases by use of drugs
- per diem hospital
- nursing staff
- rehabilitation
