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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Hontiveros reiterates call for PhilHealth to extend free dialysis coverage

Hontiveros reiterates call for PhilHealth to extend free dialysis coverage

Published Jul 2, 2021 10:39 am

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday renewed her appeal for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to continue providing the full 144 dialysis sessions this year as the country is still in a state of an emergency due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Hontiveros lamented many of the dialysis patients are now stopping treatment because the 90-day sessions provided for under PhilHealth is about to expire.

It could be recalled that in November 2020, the state health insurer extended its free dialysis coverage to 144, but it could only be availed of until December 31, 2020.

Patients complained that dialysis centers have refused to honor additional sessions due to the lack of implementing rules and regulations from PhilHealth.

“Their treatments have been paralyzed by compounding issues because of COVID-10. I hope they continue the 144 sessions this year because we still have a pandemic. There is still a health and economic crisis,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

The senator said she also hope that the PhilHealth coverage include other supply costs being passed on to patients, such as payment for their personal protective equipment (PPEs) as well as the COVID-19 test that is required prior to each dialysis session.

She noted that the “almost exclusive focus on COVID-19” is disrupting treatments and programs for other killer diseases.

“Kidney disease remains the 7th leading cause of death among Filipinos, in spite of the pandemic. We need to reevaluate how we budget for the health department this year, so that not all funds would go to COVID-19 response,” she stressed.

“We’re already in the second half of 2021 and at this point, we already owe it to the dialysis patients to ensure that their lifeline is intact,” the lawmaker emphasized.

Related Tags

free dialysis coverage PhilHealth Risa Hontiveros covid-19
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