PhilHealth clarifies hospital classification system

MANILA, Philippines–PhilHealth automatically accredits health care facilities granted a license to operate by the Department of Health.

Gregorio C. Rulloda, PhilHealth vice president for corporate affairs, also said that in the event where hospitals get reclassified to infirmaries as in the case of non-compliant ones, their accreditation remains with PhilHealth but will just be adjusted based on their new classification.

Rulloda issued the clarification on Tuesday in reaction to a news report quoting Dr. Rustico Jimenez, president of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, as expressing fears that PhilHealth cards may be useless and cannot be used in health care facilities which have been reclassified under the new policy on hospital classification issued by the Department of Health.

Jimenez said primary hospitals which fail to meet the requirements under the new policy might be downgraded to infirmaries or clinics, thus, making PhilHealth cards useless.

Rulloda said this was not correct and accurate to assume and maintained that the new classification system as contained in DOH Administrative Order 12 will be for the greater benefit of the citizens who only deserve quality services from hospitals.

“We reiterate that PhilHealth pays only for quality services and that we encourage developments that are directed towards this end,’’ Rulloda said in a letter to INQUIRER.net.

“We would like to assure the public that we will immediately make the necessary steps to come up with an appropriate benefit scheme for infirmaries so that our members can continuously avail of their services from them and be reimbursed according to their adjusted service capability,’’ he added.