'CLASS+' program to deliver free health services in schools

The Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health (DOH), and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) have joined forces to bring essential healthcare services directly to public schools through a new initiative called CLASS+ (Clinics for Learners' Access to School-health Services Plus).

Launched on Wednesday, June 18, the program aims to provide students and teachers access to free medical consultations, laboratory tests, and preventive care under PhilHealth’s Konsulta Package.

During the kickoff, 500 students and teachers in Esteban Abada Elementary School in Quezon City received free checkups, with PhilHealth also offering on-site registration for those not yet enrolled in the national health insurance program.

The CLASS+ framework enables school clinics to act as gateways to essential health services covered by the Konsulta Package, including:

• General health consultations and preventive care
• Access to diagnostic services and basic laboratory tests
• Free essential medicines
• Health counseling and medical referrals to partner hospitals or Konsulta providers

Following the MOU signing, DepEd is set to facilitate the registration of students and staff with PhilHealth, a requirement for availing of the Konsulta benefits. DepEd will also develop a School Health Package, which will be informed by health data collected from school service use, referral patterns, and learners’ health-seeking behaviors.

PhilHealth, for its part, is preparing to accredit additional Konsulta providers from the private sector, including technology-driven companies like 1Life Philippines. 

Their flagship AI-powered platform, DocMate AI, serves as a digital assistant to doctors, helping speed up consultations and improving diagnostic accuracy—especially useful in remote or under-resourced school clinics. —VAL, GMA Integrated News