PhilHealth to cover rare diseases, mobility cases

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on Tuesday announced that it will soon expand its coverage to rare diseases and cases requiring assistive devices.

The rare diseases include errors of metabolism, lysosomal storage diseases, and Maple Syrup Urine disease, among others, PhilHealth spokesperson Israel Francis Pargas said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing.

Pargas explained that rare diseases are conditions affecting only one in every 20,000 people.

“Sa ngayon po, mayroong mga around 400 identified rare diseases in the country. Pero sa ngayon po, with our consultation sa mga expert, iyon pong sampung nauna, ang una muna po na kinakailangan na mabigyan natin ng ating benepisyo,” he said.

(Currently, around 400 rare diseases are identified in the country. However, based on consultations with experts, the initial focus should be on the first ten diseases that need to be prioritized for benefits.)

All Filipinos will be eligible for the expanded PhilHealth package, but specific rules have yet to be announced.

“Ginagawa pa po natin iyong kabuuan ng polisiya and hopefully iyon pong policy ay mailabas natin ngayon pong Disyembre para po ma-implement na natin siya bago matapos ang taon,” he said.

(We are currently finalizing the overall policy, and hopefully, it will be released this December so that we can implement it before the year ends.)

Meanwhile, Pargas also mentioned that patients needing assistive mobility devices, such as wheelchairs, must have them prescribed by a physician.

“Alam naman natin na napaka-rampant or kalimitan pong inirireklamo ng ating mga kababayan, iyon pong halimbawa pananakit ng likod nila, or iyon pong any other mobility issues na kung saan kinakailangan din po ng rehabilitation, or at the very worst of it, kailangan po ng mga assistive devices katulad po halimbawa ng wheelchair or kailangan po nila ng crutches or ng canes,” he said.

(We know that one of our fellow citizens’ most common complaints is back pain or other mobility issues that require rehabilitation. In the worst cases, they may need assistive devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, or canes.)

“So, kung kakailanganin po at ito ay ipi-prescribe ng doctor, ito po ay composer na rin ng PhilHealth. Katulad po halimbawa ng wheelchair, mayroon po kasing iba-ibang klase ng wheelchair depende sa disability or sa pangangailangan. So, iba-iba rin po ang magiging coverage ng Philhealth kung anong klaseng wheelchair iyong kakailanganin,” he added.

(So, if needed and prescribed by a doctor, this will also be covered by PhilHealth. For example, wheelchairs come in different types depending on the disability or specific needs. Accordingly, PhilHealth’s coverage will vary based on the type of wheelchair required.)

Last November, PhilHealth also announced the approval of its primary care benefits for oral health.

The new package will include oral screening, dental prophylaxis or cleaning, and fluoride varnish application.