DAGUPAN CITY – This city is targeting to include 50,000 beneficiaries for the KonSulTa program which it will start implementing soon.
KonSulTa or KONsultasyon SULit at Tama, is a program which aims to strengthen preventive care among all Filipinos and serves as a transitional phase or ‘gateway’ towards a comprehensive outpatient benefit as mandated by the Universal Health Care (UHC) law.
Mayor Belen Fernandez stressed her wish to for a 50,000 target beneficiaries for the Konsulta program including indigent Dagupeños.
According to the mayor, she met with executives of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) Region 1 on Monday, August 8, to discuss the implementation of the KonSulTa program in Dagupan City.
Dagupan City is the first local government unit in Region 1 to implement the Konsulta program following its status as a UHC Implementation Site.
KonSulTa also aims to ensure that all Filipinos are guaranteed equitable access to quality and affordable health care goods and services and protected against financial risk.
The Dagupan City Health Office (CHO) located in barangay Herrero-Perez is the 1st Department of Health-licensed primary care facility in Region 1 and is the accredited Konsulta provider in the region as well. Of the initial target beneficiaries, Mayor Fernandez said the program would include indigent Dagupeños and their dependents, senior citizens, members of the lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual, persons with disabilities and solo parents, among others.
Those who want to avail Konsulta services, Dagupeños and residents of other cities and municipalities are advised to first register at the CHO or an accredited Konsulta provider.
Beneficiaries will then update their health profile, undergo checkups and/or laboratory and diagnostic tests and receive medicines as ordered by the physician.
Philhealth Circular 2022-0005 sets the implementing guidelines for the Philhealth Konsulta Package to expand the primary care benefit to cover all Filipinos.