PhilHealth to provide nCoV package — Duque

A special package from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will cover Filipinos and its foreigner members should they be classified as persons under investigation (PUIs) or test positive for novel coronavirus infection, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Friday.

"Yesterday, the PhilHealth Board convened and decided that there will be a novel coronavirus package. P1,000 per day for the hospital that takes care of a patient of novel [coronavirus] even not confirmed," Duque said in an interview on ANC television.

He said that this would apply to the 14-day quarantine period that is needed.

"If pneumonia sets in, then there's a pneumonia package—from mild, P16,000, to severe P32,000," Duque added.

PhilHealth also covers foreign retirees and foreign citizens legally working in the country.

The Philippines confirmed its first case of novel coronavirus on Thursday. — Dona Magsino/RSJ, GMA News