PhilHealth enhances primary care benefits


MANILA, Philippines — To help bring the country’s health care to universal standards, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is introducing a new set of enhanced benefits designed to improve financial risk protection for all of its members.

PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Eduardo P. Banzon said that under this program, PhilHealth will prioritize the roll-out of primary care benefits that will entitle members to basic, quality health care services through accredited public and even private health care providers nationwide.
Banzon said the agency is also expanding the case rate for all diseases and procedures. The case rate method of paying for benefits is similar to a “pakyaw” system wherein all services are already included in the package.
It will also be used as an incentive to further improve access to quality care by eventually offering a higher percentage increase in base case rate for centers of excellence, health facilities in under-served areas, and providers implementing the No Balance Billing (NBB) policy (or the Sagot Ka ng PhilHealth policy).
Banzon emphasized that the NBB policy, which is being implemented among sponsored members including those identified in the National Household Targeting Survey for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) admitted in government hospitals, will eventually cover all cases for full financial protection.

Comments