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The value of health insurance – Peter’s Story
- 23 January 2012 by TNP Newsdesk 0 Comments
As an employee of ANZ, Peter was a member of the ANZ workplace TOWER Premier HealthTM plan. By December 2004, he had been a member of the scheme for over three years, and since he had yet to make a claim, became eligible for a $100 Wellness Benefit that covered him for a visit to a GP to get a professional opinion on his condition.
Despite this, Peter put off getting a check-up straight away – after all, Christmas was fast approaching with holidays close behind, and even a work conference. It wasn’t until March that Peter finally managed to get in for what he thought would be a routine check-up.
The doctor sent Peter for a colonoscopy, where his large intestine was examined in detail for any anomalies or polyps, fleshy growths that can develop into cancer if left untreated.
The verdict for Peter was grim – the procedure indicated he had a large tumour in the lower bowel – cancer. Peter’s reaction was one of disbelief. “I thought, ‘How can I have cancer? I feel fine.’”
Despite this, tests showed that the tumour was still contained within the bowel wall, albeit barely so. “It was just about to burst through. If I had waited much longer, it wouldn’t have been too good.”
Peter immediately went through a series of medical procedures, beginning with radiotherapy through the public health system, which was then followed up by surgery to remove the tumour which was covered by his TOWER Premier HealthTM plan. Following this, a surgical complication arose, which required another round of surgery before he could be discharged.
In all, Peter spent three weeks in hospital, followed by another two months of recovery at home. It has now been over five years since Peter’s diagnosis, and the cancer hasn’t returned, meaning that he can consider himself officially cured. Despite this, Peter remains wary. He has been advised to have a colonoscopy every three years to ensure that the cancer hasn’t returned.
“My message to people about bowel cancer is to know the symptoms and take action.”
The key to Peter’s recovery was that the cancer was detected early. According to Beat Bowel Cancer Aotearoa, 75% of all bowel cancer cases can be cured if caught early enough. Recognising this fact, we offer the Wellness Benefit for the exact reasons Peter used it, in order to detect serious conditions early and receive appropriate treatment before it is too late.
Our health insurance is geared towards helping people manage the costs of healthcare, ranging from routine checkups through to major procedures in the event of something going wrong. For example, the cost of colonoscopies alone can be over $1,500, while the surgery itself to remove Peter’s tumour cost in excess of $25,000.
The reality is that while you or your clients may be in good health now, it is likely that at one point or another you or someone you love could experience a significant health problem. Invariably, accessing timely healthcare does cost money, which is where we can help. It’s reassuring to know that with us, your clients can gain quick access to a wider range of treatment options allowing them to get back to living their lives and back to work faster.
This true case study is printed with permission from the client concerned and ANZ.
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