More support for cancer patients with the NHF card

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, addresses a press conference on Tuesday at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston, to announce the addition of five health conditions under the National Health Fund (NHF) Card Programme. (Photo: JIS)

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To further cushion the cost persons have to pay for prescription drugs, the National Health Fund (NHF) has added five new health conditions to its NHF Card Programme.

Beginning Tuesday (October 24), the agency’s card programme is providing increased support for Colorectal Cancer, Lung Cancer, Multiple Myeloma, Parkinson’s Disease, and Thyroid Disease.

“This represents an estimated $450 million in additional subsidy and will see some 47,000 Jamaicans benefitting from this programme,” said Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton.

He was speaking during a press conference on October 24 at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston, where the increased support was announced.

The NHF provides, through its Individual Benefits Programme, subsidies for three main categories of benefits for Jamaican residents who are enrolled in the programme, where they obtain medications to treat and manage 17 chronic diseases, medical supplies and devices for diabetes and asthma, and diagnostic tests for three conditions.

More than 350,000 persons actively rely on the programme for care. The additional benefits result from beneficiaries’ feedback, after the NHF embarked on a review.

With the addition of the five conditions, 10 new active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are now available to the NHF to provide coverage for persons under the Benefits Programme.

Meanwhile, Tufton noted that cancer is a major health concern in Jamaica, and that screening must become a norm for the population.

He pointed out that among the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), the illness is the second leading cause of death in Jamaica.

“We have to get Jamaicans to recognise that… going to the doctor to get a ‘check-up’ is not to be feared. It is supposed to be viewed as a lifesaving activity, because early detection means longevity of life,” the minister said.

The National Health Fund is an agency of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, which was established in 2003 by the National Health Fund Act.

It provides financial support to the national healthcare system in order to improve its effectiveness and the affordability of healthcare for the Jamaican population.

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