PhilHealth extends service coverage

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation now covers insertion of subdermal contraceptives in accredited hospital and non-hospital facilities, including birthing homes and ambulatory surgical clinics.       

The subdermal contraceptive implant package provides insurance coverage at a case rate of P3,000.    

PhilHealth, in a statement, said that members and qualified dependents can avail of this on an inpatient or outpatient basis once every 730 days.      

Coverage includes consultation and counseling prior to the procedure, performance of the procedure, including professional fee and use of the facility, medicine and supplies, including the contraceptive implant and follow-up and counseling after the procedure.    

The statement added that indigent, sponsored, and OFW members may avail of the benefit package within the validity period of their annual coverage, while formal economy (employees) and informal economy (voluntary, self-employed) members need to have the qualifying contribution of at least three months within the last six months before date of admission.      

However, PhilHealth-accredited health care providers must ensure that their physicians or midwives who will perform the procedure have the requisite certificate of training on subdermal implant insertion and removal duly issued by the Department of Health.      

This certificate, PhilHealth said, must be submitted to PhilHealth prior to performance of the procedure otherwise claims for reimbursement will be denied. PhilHealth also reminds health care providers that only subdermal implants included in the Philippine National Formulary are covered under the package.

For Central Visayas hospital and non-hospital facilities, the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Section of PhilHealth-7 may be reached for details at [email protected].  (FREEMAN)