House OKs proposed renal therapy law

The House of Representatives has approved on final reading the proposed Comprehensive Renal Replacement Therapy Act.

“The passing of this bill provides significant assistance to indigent patients, particularly those from rural areas who no longer need to travel to urban cities to avail of dialysis treatment,” Rep. Ma. Lourdes Arroyo, chairman of the House Committee on Persons with Disabilities, said.

House Bill 6803 aims to classify chronic kidney disease patients as persons with disability (PWDs) and will be entitled to benefits enjoyed by PWDs.

The bill also provides that dialysis treatment in national, regional and provincial government hospitals shall be provided free of charge to indigent patients.

“All patients diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease shall be referred to a DoH (Department of Health)-accredited transplant facility to receive orientation and counseling on the advantages of undergoing transplantation as the best treatment for kidney failure. They shall likewise undergo medical evaluation for suitability of transplantation. All potential organ donors of the patient shall be evaluated to determine compatibility. If no living donors are available, the patient shall be enrolled in the deceased organ donor waiting list to ensure that all patients with ESRD (end-stage renal disease) have the option to avail of kidney transplantation,” the bill states.

The proposed law mandates the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to hike the Z-benefit package rate for the principal member and the members’ qualified dependents for maintenance peritoneal dialysis covering three peritoneal dialysis exchanges per day for 365 days, while the package rate for hemodialysis treatment shall be increased annually to cover a minimum of three hemodialysis sessions a week.