PhilHealth: premium rate’s upsurge means expansion of members’ benefit packages
The increase of Philippine Health Insurance Inc. (PhilHealth) premium rate also means the expansion of benefit packages of its members. Public Relations Office II Hanah G. Naanep of PhilHealth Region XII, explained during an interview at the city’s FB live program “Tingog sang Pagsanyog,” following grumble on this year’s one (1%) premium rate increase despite economic challenges faced by Filipinos.
She clarified further that the agency cannot implement any premium adjustment without reversion to member’s subsidy, and at the same time, a response to the complaint on the package amount covered by the agency was so insignificant despite of much expensive hospital bill. “Syempre kung naga-increase ang balaydan sa premium nagadako man ang benefit packages nga ginabalik sa mga miyembro kag amo ni ang sabat sa reklamo nga gamay ang coverage,” Naanep, said.
Meanwhile, Naanep highlighted the execution of the following health package benefit beginning this 2024 onwards, such as:
- Inflation case rate adjustment
- PhilHealth GAMOT
- Severe Acute malnutrition package
- Rationalization of other top conditions or the most burdensome diseases like Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, Chemotherapy due to lung, liver, ovarian and prostate cancer, bronchial asthmas, bacterial sepsis on newborn babies, and
- Enhancement of Z benefits for post kidney transplant, breast, prostate, cervical cancers and open heart surgery for children.
On the other hand, with the suspension in the increase of members’ contribution last 2023, Naanep also stressed that the agency was able to enforce assistance enhancement aligned with the government’s commitment program dubbed as “Pinalawak at mga Bagong Benepisyo para sa Mamamayang Filipino.” These include the launching of the following programs mainly the institutionalization of 156 hemodialysis sessions from 90 sessions in a year; outpatient mental health package; enhancement of Z benefits package for selected orthopedic implants and colorectal cancer; increase of benefit package for ischemic from ₱28,000 to ₱76,000; hemorrhagic stroke from ₱38,000 to ₱80,000; and pneumonia high-rick from ₱32,000 to ₱90,000. Thus, after implementing the total of five (5%) premium increase, PhilHealth assured that there will be no surging of premium rate next year following the acknowledgement that the voluntary members are more affected of the upsurge where they are going to pay a minimum of ₱500.00 monthly contribution.
The PhilHealth started their premium contribution adjustment in the year 2019 from two (2) percent to 2.75% and gradually increases to 3% by 2020 and 3.5% for the following year until the agency achieved their goal of 5% this year based on the provisions of the law as implementer of Universal Health Care (UHC) act.