PhilHealth urges rural health units to accommodate childbirth

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) encouraged rural health units in Negros Oriental and Siquijor to support the government’s effort to improve maternal health and reduce child mortality.

During its maternal and child advocacy held in Dumaguete City, PhilHealth urged the rural health units to participate as Maternity and Newborn Care providers to Philhealth members and their dependents who are giving birth.

The activity was attended by health workers from 19 local government units in Negros Oriental and from all six Siquijor towns, together with representatives from the Barangay Health Workers Federation and some nongovernment organizations.

“Pregnancy is a risk, therefore, delivery should be in a facility,” said Maternal and Child Health/Center for Health Development (Central Visayas) medical specialist Dr. Maria Socorro Enterra.

Once a rural health unit becomes a Maternity and Newborn Care provider, members or their qualified dependents giving birth in the facility can avail of an P8,000 and a P1,750 PhilHealth coverage for mother and child, respectively.

The Maternity Care package covers pregnancy care from prenatal to postnatal. The prenatal care amounting to P1,500, is payable to the member upon presentation of receipts for prenatal services. The Newborn Care package covers newborn screening and hearing tests, as well as essential newborn care (including Vitamin K administration, BCG vaccination and first dose of Hepatitis B immunization).

PhilHealth applies the No Balance Billing policy in all accredited lying-in clinics. Members availing of these two packages will not be charged for the normal delivery and newborn care.

The rural health unit of Bindoy in Negros Oriental sets an example for other local governments in in providing financial risk protection for the poor.

Bindoy Mayor Valente Yap shared that since 2002, when the municipality got on board the PhilHealth’s Sponsored Program, the local government has paid about P14.28 million in premium contributions for poor constituents. However, they have refunded P15.28 million in capitation payments from PhilHealth for the services provided by its rural health unit. Aside from that, PhilHealth has paid P34.91 million for the hospitalization claims of Bindoy-sponsored members.