‘Reckless’ COVID-19 patients should be denied health coverage –solon

PBA party-list Representative Jericho Nograles on Sunday urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to exclude COVID-19 patients who were found to have been infected with the disease due to irresponsible and reckless behavior from coverage.

Nograles' suggestion was prompted by reports of people flocking to shopping malls and not observing proper social distancing following the transition to a modified enhanced community quarantine or general community quarantine in several areas, including Metro Manila.

In a statement, Nograles said PhilHealth should come up with new guidelines in providing healthcare coverage for COVID-19 patients. Otherwise, contributions would just end up being wasted on "people who deliberately endanger themselves and their community."

"Nagulat talaga ako dahil parang wala na yung COVID-19 noong makita ko sa TV ang mga tao sa malls. Napakaraming pasaway! Kumpol-kumpol at bale-wala na ang social distancing," Nograles said.

"This only shows that many of our people are still underestimating the COVID-19 virus. We will pay for this with a second wave of infections," he warned.

Nograles said those who contracted the virus due to recklessness and irresponsible actions should forfeit their right to PhilHealth coverage.

This should serve as a warning to other people that they would be left on their own if they continued violating protocols on social distancing.

Before granting PhilHealth coverage for COVID-19, Nograles said the state health insurer should first ask the patient how they contracted the disease.

He said full disclosure should be required not only to determine eligibility for healthcare coverage but also to help the government in its contract tracing measures.

"From what I saw during the weekend, it seems to me that people have totally forgotten that the virus is still out there without any vaccine and without any real cure. I really fear for the second wave which could really jeopardize PhilHealth's viability. PhilHealth should only help those who deserve to be helped," Nograles said.

“The same non-coverage should apply for those who are irresponsible enough to throw parties and the like which would endanger the public,” he added.

Beginning April 15, PhilHealth said it would implement a new benefits package for patients who will contract COVID-19 depending on the severity of 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.

As of May 17, 12,513 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the Philippines, with 824 deaths and 2,635 recoveries. — DVM, GMA News