URGENT CARE PACKAGE. Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) senior vice president Israel Francis Pargas (2nd from right) attends a media forum in Quezon City on Monday (Oct. 7, 2024). He said the Universal Health Care Law mandates the state-insurer to provide emergency or urgent care benefit package to its members. (PNA photo by Ma. Teresa P. Montemayor)
MANILA – The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is studying how it could include emergency care services in the benefit packages offered to members next year.
PhilHealth Health Finance Policy Sector senior vice president Israel Francis Pargas on Monday affirmed that there is a "gap" in the health benefits they provide which already include the primary health care and confinement packages.
The gap being the emergency or urgent care package, he said during a media forum in Quezon City.
"Ayon sa Universal Health Care Law, binabanggit na dapat makapag-provide ang PhilHealth ng ganitong benepisyo, 'yan po ay pilit na nating tuparin ngayon at pinag-aaralan na po (According to the Universal Health Care Law, it says that PhilHealth must be able to provide a benefit such as this. We will try to accomplish this and we're studying) on how we can actually cover the emergency care," Pargas said.
"Hopefully, matapos ang polisiya by this year and hopefully by 2025, meron na po tayong emergency care package (Hopefully, the policy is completed this year and hopefully by 2025, we already have an emergency care package).”
Citing that the PhilHealth is committed to providing Filipinos accessible and quality health care services, PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. disclosed that other packages will be expanded in 2025.
Enhanced coverage for lung, liver, ovary and prostate cancer patients, particularly those undergoing chemotherapy, will be available next year.
"We have focused on identifying the most burdensome diseases in the Philippines, such as pneumonia, severe dengue, stroke, chronic kidney disease, and various cancers," he said. "To date, 60 percent of these conditions are now covered by the expanded healthcare financial benefits.”
Pargas said concerned members are already benefiting from higher case rates for pneumonia, asthma, stroke, neonatal sepsis, and hemodialysis. (PNA)
