PhilHealth released P12.32-B for COVID-19 response – Duterte

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation released P12.32 billion to accredited hospitals and other healthcare institutions to cover expenses for the COVID-19 response, President Rodrigo Duterte told Congress on Monday.

Duterte said the amount was downloaded to 494 healthcare institutions as of May 6. He also said PhilHealth had paid 3.6 million claims amounting to P35.356 billion with check payment dates from January 1 to May 6, 2020.

On April 15, PhilHealth started the implementation of a new benefits package for COVID-19 patients depending on the severity of the illness.

Under the new benefits package, coverage for patients with mild pneumonia was P43,997; P143,267 for those with moderate pneumonia; P333,519 for those with severe pneumonia; and P786,384 for those with critical pneumonia.

The agency also had a benefits package for COVID-19 testing ranging from P2,710 to P8,150, depending on how the test kits were acquired by the accredited testing laboratories. — DVM, GMA News