Further expansion of PhilHealth coverage pushed

 

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to implement a 20 percent increase in its benefits coverage.

In a statement on Sunday, AGRI party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee cited inflation as one of the reasons why PhilHealth must apply the said increase.

Lee made the call during the 1st National Credit Surety Fund Cooperative Congress held in Cebu City last Tuesday, where he also thanked PhilHealth for listening to their appeal to increase the coverage of several benefit packages for its members, which include high-risk pneumonia and ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.

“Pero imbes na mga piling sakit lang ang dagdagan ng suporta ng PhilHealth, dapat magkaroon ng pagtaas sa lahat ng sinasagot nitong bayarin sa pagpapa-ospital ng mga miyembro,” he said.

(But instead of increasing PhilHealth’s support for only selected diseases, there should be an increase in all the hospitalization fees it covers for its members.)

“These increases and expanded health benefits are urgently needed as PhilHealth’s case rates are no longer responsive to the hospitalization cost. Napakalaki pa rin ng binabayaran ng mga pasyente sa pagpapa-ospital (Patients still pay a lot for hospitalization),” Lee added.

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