By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Promptly acting on the “special request” of House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS party-list lawmaker Erwin Tulfo, a top official of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has expressed confidence that it will be able to increase benefits for its members, especially for those undergoing dialysis treatment.
Emerging from his meeting with Tulfo, PhilHealth Executive Vice President Eli Santos on Tuesday (28 May 2024) disclosed that the state-run health insurer is more likely to double its subsidy for dialysis patients from P2,600 to P5,200 per session.
“Pag-aaralan po ng PhilHealth ang pag-increase nito to P5,200. Binigyan po kami ng one month [para rito]. Ang goal po natin is wala ng out-of-pocket itong dialysis patients,” Santos said in a press briefing.
Tulfo noted that the current subsidy hardly covers the vials needed to be injected into dialysis patients.
“These shots (vials) are not always available in dialysis centers, so the patients seek help from a lot of people [to pay for them]. They go to the congressmen, mayors, and senators. These vials are covered by the P2,600, but since there are dialysis centers that do not have these vials, patients look elsewhere,” the ACT-CIS party-list lawmaker quipped.
He said there shouldn’t be cash out whenever the patients undergo dialysis treatment.
Tulfo has been urging Philhealth to increase benefits for its members.
It can be noted that in 2022, Congress allocated P80 billion to subsidize the premium of indigent families, senior citizens, and persons with disability with PhilHealth.
(el Amigo/MNM)
