By Charina Clarisse L. Echaluce
Registered nurses may now apply for accreditation with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) as healthcare providers.
“Registered nurses in the Philippines may now apply for accreditation with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation as providers of maternity care (MCP), newborn care (NCP), and normal spontaneous delivery (NSD) packages in accredited birthing homes,” the PhilHealth said in a statement.
Through Circular 2017-0023 (Revision 1), the PhilHealth called on registered nurses to become professional heath care providers for the three packages in PhilHealth-accredited birthing homes.
“Once accredited, the nurses will receive payment from PhilHealth for services rendered to members who are availing themselves of the MCP, NCP or NSD packages in accredited birthing homes,” it noted.
The policy also stated that the nurses who will qualify for accreditation may also provide services for family planning benefits being performed and reimbursed in primary care facilities such as intra-uterine device insertion and Subdermal Contraceptive Implant Package, subject to additional requirements such as trainings.
“The move to accredit nurses for the NHIP was in recognition of their vital roles in the local health care system,” the health insurance firm said.
To qualify for accreditation, nurses must be licensed practitioners, and must have completed training on Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care from Department of Health (DOH) institutions.
The nurses must also have at least two-year experience in the labor or delivery room of at least a Level 1 hospital.
“They must also comply with the provisions set forth in the Performance Commitment that they will sign with PhilHealth, and must be active PhilHealth members with qualifying premium contributions at the time of application. The nurses, however, may be affiliated with a maximum of three PhilHealth-accredited non-hospital birthing facilities,” added PhilHealth.