AMID PANDEMIC

PhilHealth mulls extending coverage for confinement, dialysis session

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation is studying the possibility of extending members' coverage for the confinement and dialysis session beyond their annual limit, its spokesperson said Sunday.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, PhilHealth spokesperson Rey Baleña said the agency is still making the guidelines and will release them this November.

“Mananatili po na sasagutin ng PhilHeatlh 'yung pong pagpapa-confine ng mga miyembro kahit ito ay lagpas na sa 45-day limit sa bawat taon,” Baleña said.

“At pagdating naman po sa dialysis, ay nililinaw po natin na ‘yung mga lagpas doon sa 90-session limit kada taon, yan po ay sagot pa rin po ng PhilHealth,” he added.

In a separate interview, Baleña clarified that PhilHealth is still studying these possible new policies.

“Kailangan pa namin ng kakaunting pang panahon para makuha ‘yung aming clearances na kailangan para pos a ilalabas natin guidelines,” he added.

He said the possible extension was based on the Bayanihan 2 and the declaration of state of calamity in the country.

Earlier, the Dialysis Philippines Support Group Inc. lamented that some dialysis centers were rejecting PhilHealth cards of patients who have availed over 90 dialysis sessions.

The group’s President Reynaldo Abacan Jr. noted that under the Bayanihan 2, the privilege to avail free dialysis sessions should last until December as there was still a public health emergency. —LBG, GMA News