PhilHealth backs Speaker’s call for better benefit packages

MANILA, Philippines — Executives of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) have thrown their support behind the call of House Speaker Martin Romualdez for the state insurer to enhance their service and benefit packages for members and their dependents.

PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. gave the assurance when the agency briefed the House committee on health about its benefit packages.

“We are one with Speaker Martin when he says we have to aggressively and continuously increase the case packages of PhilHealth across the board,” Ledesma said.

Earlier, Romualdez issued a directive to review PhilHealth’s charter to expand patients’ benefits, including early detection of cancer and provide a more comprehensive health care coverage for patients.

The Speaker particularly wanted an increase in benefits to cover at least 50 percent of costs in private hospital wards and the provision of free examinations for the early detection of deadly diseases, such as cancer.

Ledesma said that, as part of PhilHealth’s prime mandate, they would have to increase the benefit packages to make things easier for Filipinos to avail of health care services.

He acknowledged that while they are increasing the coverage rate of most of PhilHealth’s benefit packages starting last Feb. 14, additional increases are “warranted.”