The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) announced on Friday, Nov. 29, the approval of a new benefit package covering preventive dental care services for all Filipinos.
The new package covers routine preventive services such as mouth examinations or oral screening, dental cleaning (prophylaxis), fluoride varnish application, and pit and fissure sealants.
It also includes Class V procedures and emergency tooth extractions, with a limit of two teeth covered per patient each year.
Under the new PhilHealth benefit, patients will be reimbursed up to P1,000 annually for preventive dental services.
The breakdown includes P300 for the initial visit, which covers an oral screening, cleaning, and fluoride treatment, and another P300 for a follow-up visit.
In addition, up to P200 per tooth will be reimbursed for pit and fissure sealants or Class V procedures, with a cap of two teeth per year.
Public dentists will not require co-payments, but private dentists may charge a co-payment of up to P1,500 for certain procedures.
The PhilHealth decision aligns with the “Ngiting 70-20” initiative, which aims for Filipinos to reach 70 years old with at least 20 permanent teeth intact.
"The Universal Health Care (UHC) must have oral health care, and the best way to make it sustainable and felt by all Filipinos is through primary care. The Board agreed on a preventive oral health benefit to be delivered by dentists working in PhilHealth Konsulta package providers, and also by stand-alone dentists based on referrals from the Konsulta providers," Health Secretary and ex-officio chairperson of the PhilHealth Board, Teodoro Herbosa, said.
"We want dentists to come together and join us for UHC. This new PhilHealth oral health benefit will help make that happen," he added.
The next step for PhilHealth is to issue a circular detailing the implementation process, with a rollout expected between the first and second quarters of 2025.