PhilHealth packages should include cardiac rehab, heart doctors say

Members of the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) on Wednesday appealed to the national government to include cardiac rehabilitation in the PhilHealth Z-benefits package for heart patients.

The group composed of over 2,000 members said cardiac rehabilitation is beneficial for heart patients' “longevity and quality of life.”

Cardiac rehabilitation is vital for the restoration and nurture of physical and mental health, rebuilding confidence and self-esteem and guiding the patient in adopting  heart-healthy habits.

“However, the PhilHealth subsidy is limited to the patient’s days of confinement. The rest of the remaining sessions of the three-month program is on the patient’s account,” Dr. Benjamin Quito, chair of the PHA council on cardiac rehabilitation, said in a statement.

“Compliance rate is only from 10 to 15% among heart attack and heart failure patients in the Philippines. Cost, accessibility, and poor awareness level have been identified as major deterrent,” he added.

According to the health experts, heart disease remains as the top leading cause of death among Filipinos in 2021.

PHA advocacy chair Dr.  Richard Henry Tiongco II, citing the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) 2021 report, said coronary artery disease was the leading cause of death with 91,152 cases or 18.5% of the total deaths in the country.

Tiongco noted that this indicated an increase of at least 18.7% from the 76,783 mortality rate or 16.9% of the total deaths in the same period of 2020.

Meanwhile, the PHA said several hospitals provide remote cardiac rehabilitation. However, the additional cost is too much for the patient who already spent a hefty amount for surgery.

“After a heart attack, cardiac rehab starts the road to recuperation and revitalization. This vulnerable population has to undergo cardiac rehabilitation because it speeds up recovery and helps prevent another heart attack,” the group added. —LDF, GMA News