MANILA, Philippines — The state-owned Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is looking to “fully cover” the hospital expenses of some 18 million poor people in the country who might acquire the new virus that causes COVID-19.
During the technical working group (TWG) meeting of the House’s Defeat COVID-19 Committee (DCC) sub-panel, PhilHealth President Ricardo Morales said they are now coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regarding the matter.
“We’re looking right now at the 18 million indigents and we are coordinating with the DSWD so that those who are indigents and are afflicted with COVID-19 need not covered by the case rate. So they will be fully covered, they will no longer have to apply for additional coverage,” Morales said.
In a later text message to INQUIRER.net, Morales clarified he was referring to the 18 million low-income families covered by the social amelioration program who might get afflicted with COVID-19.
Earlier, Morales released a new case rate package for COVID-19 patients, setting the maximum amount that PhilHealth will shoulder per patient and for a certain ailment starting April 15.
This means that if the total expenses exceed the set rate, the patient has to shoulder the excess amount.
But prior to this rule, Morales said PhilHealth will shoulder hospital expenses of all COVID-19 patients, especially public health workers.
As for non-indigent COVID-19 patients, Morales stressed they will still have to adhere to the package rates, which divides patients into four categories depending on the gravity of their condition.
“They will still have to apply for additional coverage. And we will have to do our due diligence because our experience in this case, before April 15, there were families who could afford to pay a portion of the medical cost and they did not have to pay because we were still using that regime,” Morales said.
Based on the package rates, coverage for mild pneumonia is set at P43,997, moderate pneumonia at P143,267, severe pneumonia at P333,519, and critical pneumonia at P786,384.
KGA
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