Remove ‘expiry date’ on expanded dialysis coverage, Hontiveros asks PhilHealth

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) should make permanent its increased coverage of free 144-dialysis sessions, Senator Risa Hontiveros said Thursday.

“The 144 session PhilHealth coverage isn’t just crucial just because we are in a public health emergency. Dialysis is life-saving, but it is a massive financial burden to have to cash out 12,000 pesos a week, with or without an economic crisis,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

“Kaya iminumungkahi ko na gawing permanente ito para hindi na malito sa pabago-bagong polisiya,” she added.

PhilHealth earlier increased to 144 the number of dialysis sessions that can be shouldered by the state insurance firm.

PhilHealth President and CEO Dante Gierran have ordered all health-care institutions and their regional offices “to continue honoring all availments beyond the 90-session limit as duly prescribed by a licensed physician.”

The maximum 144 sessions are available until Dec. 31 this year.

But Hontiveros said PhilHealth should remove the “expiration date” on the expanded coverage of free dialysis sessions.

“I thank PhilHealth for having this consideration for dialysis patients, pero wag na natin lagyan ng expiration date ang pribilehiyong ito, lalo na sa panahon ng malalang sakuna at pandemya,” she said.

(I thank PhilHealth for having this consideration for dialysis patients, but we should not put an expiration date on this privilege, especially during the this pandemic.)

Warning to non-compliant centers

Hontiveros called on PhilHealth to immediately release the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for this expanded coverage to ensure that the dialysis center will comply.

She warned non-compliant dialysis centers that their accreditation “can and will be revoked if you do not follow the circular.”

“I am warning non-compliant dialysis centers that your accreditation can and will be revoked if you do not follow the circular. Dapat mahigpit itong i-monitor ng PhilHealth, at sana tulungan din sila ng support groups,” said Hontiveros.

(I am warning non-compliant dialysis centers that your accreditation can and will be revoked if you do not follow the circular. PhilHealth should strictly monitor this and I hope they can be helped by support groups.)

Further, she asked PhilHealth to make the process of reimbursement easier for those who already paid for their dialysis sessions, especially because “readily available cash is the lifeline of many Filipino families.”

/MUF