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'Madaming pambayad': Quimbo tells PhilHealth to raise dialysis coverage to P4,200
'Madaming pambayad': Quimbo tells PhilHealth to raise dialysis coverage to P4,200
At A Glance
- Noting that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) can afford it, Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo is prodding to state health insurer to raise its dialysis coverage from then current P2,600 to P4,200.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Noting that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) can afford it, Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo is prodding to state health insurer to raise its dialysis coverage from then current P2,600 to P4,200.
Quimbo, senior vice chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, made the call during the launch of National Kidney Month wherein she advocated for the equitable access to kidney treatment and care.
She highlighted the urgent need for enhanced PhilHealth benefit packages to better support patients with chronic kidney disease.
“Ang current rate na P2,600 per dialysis session ay hindi sapat para matustusan ang mga kinakailangang gamot. Kitang-kita ko po ‘yan sa mga resibong ipinapadala sa amin ng aking mga constituents sa Marikina na humihingi ng dagdag na medical assistance. Raising the rate to P4,200 will better meet patients’ needs,” Quimbo stated.
(The current rate of P2,600 is not enough to cover their medical needs. That is evident among my constituents in Marikina who seek additional medical assistance by sending their receipts.)
She noted, “PhilHealth can very well finance the increased coverage for dialysis given its 2023 reported positive net inflows of P173 billion even excluding government subsidies.”
This surplus presents an opportunity to expand benefit packages under the Universal Health Care Act, Quimbo said.
In the case of dialysis coverage, total spending reached approximately P17 billion in 2023. The lady lawmaker's proposed increase in dialysis coverage to P4,200 would only mean an additional P10.5 billion in benefit spending.
“This proposal is timely, aligning with the celebration of National Kidney Month in June. By increasing dialysis coverage, we not only provide immediate relief but also encourage preventive healthcare measures," she said.
Quimbo said that instead of a uniform increase in all case rates, PhilHealth should prioritize substantial increases for treatments with the highest morbidity and mortality rates.
She stressed that increasing the dialysis session rate from P2,600 to P4,200 would significantly improve patient care.
In the recent Committee on Appropriations oversight hearing on the Department of Health (DOH) held last May 29, Officer-in-change (OIC) Assistant Secretary of Health Albert Domingo committed to make the increase of hemodialysis coverage the number one agenda item in the upcoming meeting of the Benefit Committee of PhilHealth.