MISAMIS ORIENTAL (PIA)--PhilHealth members undergoing hemodialysis can now take advantage of expanded benefits under PhilHealth Circular No. 2023-009. Under its updated package, the annual hemodialysis sessions has increased to 156 from its previous 90 sessions.
“May separate 45-day benefit allowance ang ating dialysis patients, iba pa ito 156 sessions exclusive para sa kanilang pagpapa-dialysis. So kahit na mag-three times a week dialysis, so ang sagot ng Philhealth P2,600 times 156, so sa loob ng isang taon sumatotal na P405,600 ang tulong pinansiyal [Our dialysis patients have a separate 45-day benefit allowance. It is different from the 156 sessions exclusively for their dialysis. So even if they have a dialysis session three times a week, PhilHealth will pay P2,600. So if we multiply it by 156, a total of P405,600 in financial assistance is given in a year],” PhilHealth-10 Vice President Delio A. Aseron said.
Aseron reported that as of 2023, PhilHealth paid P505 million in claims to the accredited hospital and free-standing dialysis clinic, making hemodialysis the top case in the region.
Moreover, based on the package rate, P2,600 is divided between the hospital facility fee of P2,250 and the professional fee of P350.
It also states that if a Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 5 (CKD5) patient on hemodialysis (HD) needs hospital confinement, the HD sessions shall be filed separately and should not overlap with the inpatient claim. It also emphasized that unused treatment sessions for the current year will not be carried over to succeeding years.
On Konsulta
Meanwhile, PhilHealth-10 continues to encourage its members to register for the Konsultang Sulit at Tama (Konsulta) program, wherein registered members may avail of 13 selected laboratory and diagnostic examinations such as CBC with platelet count, urinalysis, fecalysis, sputum microscopy, fecal occult blood, pap smear, lipid profile, FBS, OGTT, ECG, chest x-ray, creatinine, and HbA1c in their partner Konsulta providers.
“Ito po ang primary health care benefit kung saan bawat miyembro ay iaasign sa pinakamalapit na primary care facility or Konsulta Facility be it LGU or government owned facility, health center o kaya naman po mga private facility na nagpaaccredit sa amin [This benefit offers primary healthcare services, allowing a member to be designated to the nearest primary care facility or Konsulta facility. This can include LGU or government-owned health centers as well as private facilities accredited with us],” Aseron said.
Aside from the services, Konsulta members can avail of the selected drugs and medicines for anti-microbial, fluid, and electrolytes; anti-asthma; antipyretic; anti-diabetic; anti-dyslipidemia; anti-hypertensive; anti-thrombotic; and antihistamine.
Currently, PhilHealth has 106 accredited Konsulta providers, 283 accredited outpatient facilities like CIU, COVID-19 test labs, Konsulta PCB, and TB Dots; 127 accredited level 1-3 infirmaries, hospitals, and dialysis clinics; and 2,135 accredited health care professionals in Region 10.
PhilHealth encouraged non-members to register in order to avail the benefit packages, while existing members are urged to sign up for the Konsulta benefit packages. The agency also reminded members and their beneficiaries undergoing hemodialysis to enroll in the PhilHealth Dialysis Database to avail the extended hemodialysis package. (JAKA/PIA-10)
