PhilHealth conducts healthcare summit

CI TY OF SAN FERNANDO ---The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), in cooperation with the Provincial Government of Pampanga, on January 25 to 26 held the Central Luzon Health Care Provider’s Summit.

This is part of the initiatives to make healthcare accessible to residents of the region under programs of the Universal Health Care Law.

Philhealth said that the Central Luzon Health Care Provider’s Summit gathered primary movers of health in the region including the local chief executives, rural health workers, health workers in private hospitals, and accredited health service providers.

The summit featured discussions on the gains and challenges of the Universal Health Care Law since it was first implemented.

Attendees shared their insights and experiences regarding their participation in the implementation of the Universal Health Care Law wherein best practices and solutions to common gaps encountered were addressed and adopted.

Aside from the health care provider’s summit, PhilHealth said it continues to advocate the programs under the Universal Health Care Law.

The agency said it has launched late last year expanded packages with bigger benefits to reduce outof-pocket expense of patients, particularly indigents seeking health consultations and hospital confinements.

The packages include the increased coverage of dialysis sessions from 90 days to 156 days, or equivalent to almost six months, expanded case rates or payments for hospital confinement of patients for ischemic stroke from P28,000 to P76,000; hemorrhagic stroke from P38,000 to P80,000; and high-risk pneumonia from P32,000 to P90,100; and a mental health package for people who acquired serious mental health problems as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.