THE PHILIPPINE Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has assured the elderly citizens of its continuing commitment to their health and well- being by ensuring adequate financial protection when availing of inpatient care and primary care benefits in accredited facilities nationwide.
The
assurance was made after the signing of a partnership agreement with the
National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) on the sharing of information and
statistical data on membership and health status of senior citizens.
The
accord aims to help the two agencies maintain an accurate database system in aid
of expanding benefit packages and improving services for senior citizens, and
in minimizing if not totally eradicating fraud brought about by inaccurate
member records.
As
of last year, PhilHealth has registered nearly or over 15 million elderly
members and their dependents under its “Lifetime Program and Senior Citizens
Program.” Lifetime members include retirees and pensioners who have reached the
age of retirement and have paid at least 120 months of contributions to the
program.
Meanwhile,
Senior Citizen members are those who do not belong to any of the membership
categories and whose contributions are paid for by the National Government
pursuant to Republic Act 10645. Elderly members can immediately avail of benefits
for inpatient care and select outpatient procedures, Z Benefit Packages, and
other benefit packages being developed by PhilHealth.
Billions
of pesos have already been paid by PhilHealth for benefit claims of elderly
patients under the Lifetime and Senior Citizens Program. Senior members are
also a priority to the PhilHealth’s expanded primary care benefit package dubbed
as “Konsulta” or “Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama Package” which can be availed of
from accredited Konsulta providers of their choice.
The
Konsulta Package aims to help members prevent or detect diseases early on. The
accredited
Konsulta providers shall act as the initial and continuing contact for the
patients in the healthcare delivery system. The package includes targeted
health risk screening and assessment; initial and follow up consultations; and
laboratory tests and medicines, the availment of which will be subject to the
recommendation of their primary care provider.
Laboratory
and diagnostic tests include complete blood count with platelet count, urinalysis,
fecalysis, sputum microscopy, fecal occult blood, Pap smear, lipid profile,
fasting blood sugar, oral glucose tolerance test, electrocardiogram, creatinine
and HbA1c. The medicines that will be made available include anti-microbial, anti-asthma,
antipyretics, anti-dyslipidemia, anti-diabetic, and anti-hypertensive
medicines, including fluids and electrolytes, anti-thrombotic, and
anti-histamines. (Mindanao Examiner)
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