Movember – be prepared as well as aware

What do the words Chevron, Handlebar, Toothbrush and Walrus have in common? These are all styles of facial hair men might display on their upper lip: the moustache.

While facial hair is usually a very personal choice – or more often a man’s partner’s choice! – come November, they are all the rage. The so-called month of Movember aims to raise awareness of and funds for prostate and testicular cancer. Started in 2004 by the Movember Foundation, it encourages men to go for an annual check-up and be informed about their family history. Early detection and diagnosis lead to more effective treatment, which in turn reduces the number of deaths from prostate and testicular cancer.

Worldwide, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, with a mortality rate of 15%. In South Africa, one out every 34 men will suffer from prostate cancer, but if you are a white man, then the risk increases to one in every 15. And it is young men who are the most at risk of contracting testicular cancer, the majority of sufferers being under the age of 30. Despite their prevalence, these “private” cancers remain a taboo topic.

Apart from the agonising physical and emotional journey a man will have to go through if diagnosed with either prostate or testis cancer, most people are not always aware of the financial implications of suffering from cancer and expect that their medical aid will fund most of the costs.

The financial consequences include the direct cost of diagnosing and treating the cancer as well as any loss of income a person might suffer if they are unable to work while undergoing treatment. Costs not covered – or not covered in full – by medical aid include the cost of biopsies, path lab tests, scans and early cancer treatment which could include hormone therapies, chemotherapy and even robotic, non-invasive surgery. For the 84% of South Africans without medical aid or only with hospital plans, the costs of detection and treatment can be prohibitive. Consider this:

• Diagnostic testing for cancer (such as scans and blood test, etc.) could easily cost up to R80,000. With prostate cancer, a MRI guided biopsy is often used at a cost of at least R12,000 per test.
• As cancer is a prescribed minimum benefit (PMB), most medical aids will cover the treatment at 100% of medical aid rate. However, this does not cover the full rate of such specialists as oncologists who can charge up to 300% of medical aid rates.
• Patients sometimes have to choose between treatments that are less invasive but more expensive than others (but which have the added benefit of faster recovery times). For example, the use of robotic assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) is said to be more effective, but comes at a price of about R190,000 per procedure. This compares to the about R76,000 that open prostatic surgery will cost you. However, only a few medical aids will fund the RALS, and then only about 65% of the total cost.
• Even with an early stage diagnosis, treatment and recovery can be a long process. During this time a person might not be able to work due to side effects of and time needed to undergo treatment. The situation can be exacerbated if a person’s annual and sick leave has run out, and the days away from the office need to be taken as unpaid leave. For those who run their own businesses, time away from work can be particularly problematic.

How does one prepare financially for a life-changing event such as prostate cancer? Critical illness cover is an important addition to a person’s risk cover policies in order to be in a position to fund costs. However, while men with such cover often expect that they are covered for all types of cancer, including prostate cancer, in most instances only prostate cancer that has progressed beyond stage 3 or 4 is covered (and this is near the end stage). Therefore, testing and treatment – especially of early detected cancer – could still have serious financial implications which might not be covered by critical illness benefits.

It is prudent to check with your financial advisor so that you are aware what you are and aren’t covered for.

That fact is that the treatment of even early stage cancer can be as high as R500,000, while a full chemotherapy course could cost as much as R1,5 million. For this reason, it is imperative to have the necessary medial aid, gap cover and / or a hospital plan, as well as dread disease cover and income protection, in place. This way, you and your family will be best prepared to meet this challenge, should it arise.

So be a “Mo Bro”, grow that moustache, and invest in yourself and go for that check-up. But also plan for the financial implications that you may have to face.