PhilHealth, PIA sign MOU on affordable healthcare awareness drive

MANILA – The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on educating Filipinos about healthcare services under the Universal Health Care (UHC) program.

The MOU builds upon a previous one signed by PhilHealth and PIA National Capital Region on Sept. 4 last year promoting the Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama (Konsulta) program in Metro Manila and surrounding areas.

"Dahil naging maganda ang epekto ng kasunduang ito, minarapat na po nating maging national ang scope ng ating kasunduan at ang ating partnership para naman mas maraming tao ang matutulungan natin, at mai-inform natin, at makikinabang sa mga serbisyo ng PhilHealth (Because the MOU had a good effect, we opted to broaden it and our partnership, so we can help more people, and we inform them, and they can avail of PhilHealth services)," PIA Director-General Jose Torres Jr. said.

Through the Konsulta program, PhilHealth provides services, laboratory tests (based on doctors' prescription), and drugs and medicines (based on doctors' prescription) for all of its members.

Under the UHC, all Filipinos are immediate members of PhilHealth.

These services include CBC with platelet count, urinalysis, fecalysis, sputum microscopy, fecal occult blood, pap smear, lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, oral glucose tolerance test, ECG, chest X-ray, creatinine, and HBA1C test.

Meanwhile, the free drugs and medicines include antimicrobials, fluid and electrolytes, anti-asthma, antipyretics, anti-dyslipidemia, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti-thrombotics, and antihistamine.

As of March 31, 2024, there are 2,611 accredited Konsulta Package providers in the NCR and 372 in Rizal province.

There are 14,947,769 individuals registered in the Konsulta program.

PhilHealth president and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. assured the public that the corporation has enough funds for all the health benefit packages.

"We increased 30 percent almost across the board last February 14, and then just a few weeks ago in our last Execom, we asked the group, study again, another round of 30 percent increase. We have budgeted 245 billion (pesos) for benefit payments this year," he said.

He said PhilHealth is working on the expansion of free drugs and medicines from 21 to 53 for its members.

PhilHealth corporate affairs vice president Rey Baleña said the expansion is in the "pilot-testing" stage.

"Iyung 21 mag-e-expand to 53 essential drugs and medicines at kapag ito po ay fully nailunsad na po natin, na-deploy nationwide, magkakaroon po ng access dito ang mga kababayan natin (The 21 will expand to 53 essential drugs and medicines, and when we fully launch this, deployed nationwide, our fellowmen will have access to this)," he said.

"Magkakaroon po sila [members] ng allowance na P9,000 per year na magagamit nila para i-procure essential medicines batay po sa kanilang pangangailangan (Members will have an allowance of P9,000 per year which they can use to buy essential medicines based on their needs)," he said.

Ledesma and Torres were joined by PhilHealth NCR vice president Bernadette Lico and PIA deputy Director-General for Regional Operations Adolfo Ares Gutierrez during the signing. (PNA)