Areas under state of calamity with privileges from PhilHealth

IN light of devastation brought about by Typhoon “Paeng” (international name: “Nalgae”), President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed Proclamation 84, declaring Calabarzon, Bicol, Western Visayas and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao under a state of calamity for six months.

In response to declaration of the state of calamity by the President, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) extended various special privileges to affected members, employers and health care facilities to ensure continuous provision of health care services to all Filipinos adversely affected by fortuitous events.

In its PhilHealth Circular 2020 to 0007, the corporation granted special privileges, ensuring “continuous access to PhilHealth benefits and substantial aid to health care institutions in rebuilding their critically damaged health care system,” provided that a declaration of a state of calamity was issued by competent authorities.

Affected members were granted exemption from the 45-day benefit limit and single period of confinement rule as well as coverage even for confinement under 24 hours. The deadline for the payment of contributions for self-paying members was, likewise, extended to provide greater financial flexibility.

The same was also applied to employers in affected areas.

Affected health care institutions were entitled to extended submission of claims from 60 to 120 calendar days, reimbursement for both referring and receiving health care institutions, extension on the submission of the mandatory reports, extension of validity of accreditation and/or submission of application of health care providers, and reimbursement for destroyed claims.