PhilHealth Showcases Innovations

in Services and Benefits

By: Pinky G. Aragones

THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation

(PhilHealth) formally introduced three product
developments and innovations at point-
of-service that will make benefit availment
easier and making premium remittance more
convenient for its partner-employers recently.
Dubbed “PhilHealth Forward”, which the event took place at the
Marco Polo Hotel, Pasig City, showcased the latest evolvement and
innovations on at least three (3) product developments – Middle
East Respiratory Syndrome - Corona Virus, Ebola and Dialysis
(both hemodialysis and peritoneal), one (1) innovation at point-of-
Padilla leads unveiling of My PhilHealth Portal logo
service to make benefits availment easier, and one (1) important
enhancement in PhilHealth’s existing systems to make premium
remittance more convenient, especially for its partner-employers.
PhilHealth Forward is an institutional activity where new
products and services are being introduced to the public.
“PhilHealth continuously upgrades its capabilities to be in with
the times, for the benefit of our members. It is a reiteration of
our commitment to give our stakeholders what they deserve, be
it in terms of benefit packages, or technical innovations that will
dramatically reduce the number of steps it will take to be able to
access benefits, or to fulfil one’s responsibility to keep premium
payments updated,” said Alexander A. Padilla, PhilHealth President
and Chief Executive Officer. Lito Bautista Accounting Head of DIAR’S Assistance Inc., talked about
the convenience that the Electronic Premium Reporting System brings.
The state-run health insurer assured its 89 million beneficiaries
that although the threat of emerging diseases like Ebola and
days. On the other hand, the package for MERS-CoV is P100,000
MERS-CoV are already controlled in other countries, PhilHealth is
for health workers and P50,000 for non-health workers.
ready with a benefit package should the said diseases emerge in the
PhilHealth also made some significant adjustments in
country.
compensating for hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis through
The medical assistance for Ebola is P110,000 for the first seven
the case rate mechanism. The available number of days was
(7) days, and an additional P16,000 per day for the next seven (7)
extended from 45 to 90 per year through a benefit-sharing
arrangement between and among principal members and
PhilHealth should move ever dependents, and the per session rate was rationalized to P2,600.
forward, never backward said
Mervin M. Balog, PhilHealth Another development is the deployment of the Health
Supervisor from the Medical Center Care Institution (HCI) Portal, wherein checking of member’s
Muntinlupa, Inc. eligibility to avail of PhilHealth benefit is on real time in the
hospital. PhilHealth members may no longer submit the requisite
documents because once the Portal says ‘’yes,’’ entitlement to
benefits is a go. Since it is mandatory for the HCIs to install the
portal since last year, compliance is already 90 percent nationwide.
PhilHealth also introduced system enhancements for its partner-
employers. The Electronic Premium Reporting System (EPRS) is
Padilla says it is PhilHealth’s
commitment to continuously upgrade its now called Electronic Premium Remittance System. With the new
system and enhance its benefit packages EPRS, employers especially those with hundreds or thousands of
for its stakeholders. employees nationwide can now remit their premium contributions
online. (END)

DWIZ’s seasoned host,

Marou Sarne asked about
the rationalized amount for Round table discussion with media
dialysis partners.