BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera office of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth-CAR) disclosed that there is no discrimination in the confinement of non-PhilHealth members who contracted the dreaded Corona Virus Disease (COVID) 2019 in accredited community isolation units and health facilities.
During the regular City Hall Hour program, PhilHealth-CAR Acting Regional Vice President Dr. Dominga A. Gadgad stated that individuals who contracted the deadly virus, whether or not PhilHealth members, are admitted in the accredited community isolation units and health facilities for them to be provided with the appropriate treatment for them to be able to immediately recover from the pandemic.
The Philhealth-CAR official explained that in case the admitted COVID-19 patient is not a member, he or she will be required by the assigned staff to fill out the PhilHealth Members Registration Form (PMRF) which will eventually be submitted to the agency for the issuance of his or her PhilHealth identification number even without the necessary payment of membership to ensure that his or her treatment will be covered by the benefits of the existing COVID-19 packages.
Gadgad claimed that personnel of the isolation units and the health facilities usually inquire from the individual seeking medical attention from the isolation units and health facilities if they have their PhilHealth ID No. so that they will be able to already ascertain the appropriate benefits that will be appurtenant to their medical condition and the treatment and medical procedures that will be provided by the facilities.
In the city, PhilHealth accredited the Baguio City Community Isolation Unit and the Baguio Teachers Camp as established isolation centers while all the public and private hospitals have also be accredited as health facilities for COVID-19.
Under the current PhilHealth COVID-19 packages, individuals who will be confined in the accredited isolation units could avail of the package amounting to P22,449 that will be paid by the agency to the local government, provided that, the patients will complete the prescribed 14-day isolation period.
Further, for those who have been treated for mild pneumonia, the existing package is estimated to be P43,997, moderate pneumonia – P143,269, severe pneumonia – P333,519 and critical pneumonia – P786,335.
Gadgad revealed that the payment for the PhilHealth membership of the non-PhilHealth member who contracted the deadly virus can come later once he or she will be able to recover from the illness because what is important is for them to avail of the provided packages to prevent them from shelling out their hard earned money to allow them to use the same for their needs upon being discharged from the health facilities.
She urged individuals who are not yet members of the State insurance corporation to file their membership the soonest so that they can avail of the benefits of being a member, especially when they contract illnesses that warrant their being confined in health facilities to be provided with quality health care services in the future.
By Dexter A. See