State-owned universal health insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corporation has assured that it will shoulder the expenses of its members who were hospitalized due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“Lahat ng hospitalized sasagutin yan. ‘Yun lang mga nako-confine, iyon lang ang masasagot ng PhilHealth,” PhilHealth President Ricardo Morales said in a briefing aired over People’s Television Network.
This also applies to frontline medical staff.
“Babayaran ng PhilHealth ang medical expenses nila especially mga public health workers,” Morales added.
In another interview with CNN Philippines, Morales cited two cases of COVID-19 patient whose medical bills have reached P1.7 million and P1.8 million respectively.
The highest cost of treatment for a COVID-19 patient that they will pay is at around P2 million.
Costs will be covered until April 14, after which PhilHealth will be deploying new case rates that will be applied to cases that are: mild, moderate, severe and critical.
PhilHealth is also shouldering the cost of COVID-19 testing conducted by laboratories accredited by the Department of Health.
Likewise, PhilHealth has already released P1.6 billion to accredited hospitals to help them respond to the impact of COVID-19. It will serve as an advance payment for insurance claims of the healthcare workers.
Read PhilHealth’s full statement below:
