Wider PhilHealth coverage sought

TWO CARDIOLOGISTS’ groups have urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to provide universal coverage for Filipinos in need of primary angioplasty, a lifesaving procedure that they said would help curb the incidence of cardiovascular deaths in the country.

The Philippine Heart Association (PHA) and the Philippine Society of Cardiac Catheterization and Interventions (PSCCI) proposed that PhilHealth allocate a larger sum to cover much of the cost of the procedure for treating the condition known as ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (Stemi).

Classified under acute coronary syndrome, Stemi occurs when a coronary artery is totally obstructed by a blood clot.

Primary angioplasty or primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the gold standard treatment for Stemi patients worldwide, heart doctors said. It involves inserting and inflating a tiny balloon or a stent in the clogged artery to help widen it.

“All Stemi patients should be considered for primary angioplasty immediately because the procedure reduces significant mortality and another heart attack,” according to the cardiologists who spoke at a health forum in Quezon City Tuesday.

At present, the maximum PhilHealth coverage for heart attack with angioplasty is P40,000, which cardiologists described as a meager amount compared to the average cost of the procedure at P350,000 to P400,000.

“The appeal is for PhilHealth to provide enough subsidy so that no patient will be turned down by the hospital or be required a substantial deposit before doing PCI on a Stemi patient,” said PSCCI president Dr. Nick Cruz.

Cruz added that PSCCI was also willing to exclude the operator’s professional fee in the subsidy to pave the way for a substantial reimbursement.

Compared to neighboring countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, the Philippines has the lowest health subsidy for heart attack with angioplasty, Cruz said. Singapore and Thailand give full subsidy to patients in need of the procedure, he added.

He said the organization had written a letter to PhilHealth president Alex Padilla in September 2015 explaining the need for a more substantial coverage of the procedure so Filipino patients can get proper and timely treatment.