PhilHealth to cover cost of COVID-19 treatment
CEBU, Philippines — In the midst of the growing public concern over the cost of getting treatment for the Coronavirus Disease 2019, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has assured the public that it will “shoulder the full cost of treatment of COVID-19 cases until April 14, 2020.”
In its Advisory No. 2020-022 addressed to all accredited hospitals and health facilities in the country, PhilHealth clarified that “after (that) date, we shall continue to provide financial coverage to COVID cases thru a recomputed case rate.”
“The reason for this accommodation window is due to the novelty and the wide range of severity of the disease in the country for which no existing case rate or package based on accepted protocols has yet been established,” the PhilHealth statement read.
The state agency added that it “is confident that by April 14, 2020, the behavior of the disease can be learned, a final protocol established, and an appropriate case rate can be developed that will provide adequacy and sustainability to the anti-CoViD-19 campaign.”
PhilHealth is scheduled to release a new set of guidelines for COVID-19 cases, which will include the appropriate case rate based on accepted protocols in dealing with the disease.
Meanwhile, under R. A. 11469 also known as the Bayanihan We Heal As One Act, all health workers will be covered even beyond the April 14, 2020 cut-off date for all work and COVID-19 related health services.
This will also include all other personnel necessary for the operation of a health facility. GAN (FREEMAN)
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