PhilHealth: All emergency outpatient cases now covered

MANILA, Philippines —  The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).  on Thursday announced that it is now covering all outpatient emergency cases in accredited level 1 to 3 hospitals nationwide. 

The state health insurer announced this in a statement on Thursday, saying that its Facility-Based Emergency (FBE) benefit is in accordance with the outpatient emergency care benefit package. 

PhilHealth disclosed that this package was introduced last year through a circular. 

It also reminded hospitals that accreditation to provide FBE benefits would no longer be needed since it was already included in their accreditation as hospitals. 

PhilHealth, however,  clarified that hospitals with extension facilities “must submit to their respective PhilHealth Regional Offices a certification stating the name of [the] affiliated extension facility and its complete address.”

On the other hand, the coverage for ambulance services under the Prehospital Emergency (PHE) benefit “will be announced at a later date.”