PhilHealth rolls out expanded coverage, new benefits for members

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is set to roll out its expanded coverage and benefits for its members. (File Photo: Philippine Health Insurance Corporation/Facebook)

MANILA – The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is set to roll out its expanded coverage and benefits for its members.

Among the first to be implemented is the increase in the number of covered outpatient hemodialysis sessions from 90 to 156, PhilHealth acting president and chief executive officer Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr. said in a news release on Tuesday.

“Sa pamamagitan ng expanded coverage na ito para saoutpatient hemodialysis, masusuportahan na po natin ang buong tatlong sessions kada linggo sa loob ng isang buong taon. Ibinase po ng PhilHealth ang increase na ito batay sa standards ngadequate dialysis na nangangailangan ng tatlong 4-hour sessions per week para sa (Through this expanded coverage for outpatient hemodialysis, we can support three sessions per week for the whole year. PhilHealth based this increase from adequate dialysis standards of those who need three 4-hour sessions per week for) stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients,” Ledesma said.

As directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Ledesma added that the state health insurer is also on track to roll out new benefits, including an outpatient mental health package as well as an outpatient therapeutic care package for severe acute malnutrition for children under five years old.

“We are committed to continuously improve the benefits we offer and make them more responsive, accessible, and convenient to the Filipino people,” Ledesma said.

“One of these improvements is the introduction of the PhilHealth mobile app along with text message confirmations, so in the very near future your health care will just be a few taps away,” he added.

Ledesma said they are also strengthening the PhilHealth Konsulta Package, where members are assigned to an accredited Konsulta provider whom they can consult for their health care needs.

“Ang PhilHealth Konsulta Package ay primary care benefit na maaaring magamit para sa basic services tulad ng (The PhilHealth Konsulta Pacage is a primary care benefit that can be used for basic services like) check-up, health screening and assessment, laboratory, x-ray, at gamot (medicine),” he said.

Ledesma reiterated the agency’s commitment to be responsive to the health and medical needs of Filipinos in the new normal.

He said PhilHealth plans to rationalize its Covid-19 in-patient packages, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid antigen tests as well as isolation packages.

“We are also planning to rationalize select in-patient case rates, including moderate and high-risk pneumonia and acute ischemic and hemorrhagic, as these are the most common cases availed in recent years according to our records,” he added.