Inlife’s Fay Cuadra Shares Why the Cost of Recovery Goes Beyond Surgery

Marking one year with No Evidence of Disease, the insurance executive reflects on treatment expenses, continuing care and the support that helped her recover.

A routine check-up led InLife executive Fay Cuadra to a cancer diagnosis despite having no pain or noticeable symptoms. Now marking one year with No Evidence of Disease, she is sharing how treatment affected both her health and her finances.

Cuadra, InLife University Senior Assistant Vice President and Business Development Head, recounts her experience in a company release issued as Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close.

After more than two decades in insurance, she found herself facing the uncertainty she had helped others prepare for.

“When you hear those words, it feels like time has suddenly stopped,” she recalled.

Treatment brought successive expenses

Following her diagnosis, Cuadra underwent neoadjuvant therapy, a mastectomy with breast reconstruction, and radiation therapy.

According to her account, initial diagnostic procedures exhausted her inpatient HMO limits. Breast surgery cost approximately ₱800,000, followed by ₱585,000 for radiation therapy.

Six months later, she underwent a separate major procedure—a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy—costing another ₱700,000. The release does not explain its medical indication.

These are expenses from her individual experience, rather than standard prices for other patients.

Cuadra said PhilHealth benefits, PWD discounts, corporate leave benefits and personal insurance payouts helped, but the financial burden remained considerable.

Recovery includes follow-up care

Cuadra emphasizes that healthcare needs continued after surgery and treatment through consultations, blood tests, scans, medication and monitoring.

Her one-year No Evidence of Disease, or NED, milestone means current examinations show no detectable cancer. NED does not establish that cancer can never return; cancer specialists distinguish it from certainty of a permanent cure.

She also credits her husband, family and colleagues for supporting her recovery, including encouragement from InLife President Raoul Littaua to focus on healing.

Understanding what health protection covers

Alongside her account, InLife highlights InLife Global Care, which the company says offers up to ₱125 million in annual coverage.

The release lists eligible inpatient and outpatient services, access to accredited providers locally and abroad, supported cashless arrangements, and guaranteed annual renewability up to age 99. It also describes emergency coverage of up to ₱12.5 million outside the selected coverage area.

These are company-described benefits subject to policy terms and conditions. The maximum annual coverage is not an automatic cash payout or a guarantee that every expense will be covered.

Cuadra’s experience highlights why patients and families need to understand how their HMO, employer benefits and individual policies work together.

Her story also places continuing care and personal support alongside the hospital bill—parts of recovery that remain important after the initial treatment ends.

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