PhilHealth assures benefits for seniors

Elderly members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) were assured that they are entitled to and will receive the right health benefits and the services.

“The elderly population needs to be cared for, and your PhilHealth will continue to work hand-in-hand with organizations like the Philippine Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (PSGG) to make caring for the elderly a stronger advocacy," said Dr. Israel Francis A. Pargas, PhilHealth’s head executive assistant in the Office of the President and CEO and concurrent OIC–Vice President of the Corporate Affairs Group, in his speech during the fifth annual convention of the PSGG.

The convention, which adopted the theme ‘Saklolo, Saklola: Problems Updates in Aged Care’, focuses on older adults who have special health care needs that can make their medical care more complicated.

During the event, the health officials stressed the need for health care providers to face the challenge of being ready for the demands of the aging population.

It was noted that the PhilHealth is doing its best to take care of the elderly by providing financial risk protection and access to essential health services.

At present, more than 4,000 case rate packages are available for the elderly PhilHealth members and their legal dependents.

Among the common causes of hospital admissions for older adults are Pneumonia-High Risk (132,000), Hypertension-Stage II (19,000), Osteoporosis-Unspecified (17,900), Osteo-arthritis ( 17,000), Other Vascular Dementia (17,800), Cardiac Arrhythmias (112,200), Congestive Heart Failure ( 115,700), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (112,200), Myocardial Infarction (112,000), Complications of Diabetes Mellitus with other specified complications (112,600), and Asthma (19,000).