PhilHealth now covers 343 ER services

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. now covers 343 medical services provided in emergency rooms under the PhilHealth outpatient emergency care benefit or OECB package.

“There is a substantial need to support the delivery of acute care for cases not requiring admission, or outpatient services provided in emergency settings,” PhilHealth said.

Included in the coverage are nebulization, oxygen, vital signs monitor, CT Scan, X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, IV fluid, tetanus toxoid, pregnancy test and blood transfusion, among others.

Also included in PhilHealth’s coverage are change in vision, change in hearing, generalized weakness/lethargy, dizziness, palpitation, persistent vomiting, diarrhea, foreign body, difficulty swallowing, fever/chills, burn, rash, mental health and non-traumatic bleeding.

Other listed conditions are change in sensorium, change in gait, elevated blood pressure, seizure, severe headache, chest pain, difficulty of breathing, ingestion/substance abuse, abdominal pain/enlargement, severe pain (others), incessant crying/inconsolable child, obstetrics and gynecologist conditions and sexual assault.