PhilHealth eyes to increase benefit packages for members, hikes premium contribution in 2024

Transcript

00:00 The state insurer, otherwise known as Spill Health, is embarking on an aggressive development

00:05 program to include comprehensive digitalization in all of its offices.

00:10 Likewise, it is expanding or broadening its coverage for members and adding more benefits

00:16 to avail of, such as consult a package to its outpatient free medication service.

00:21 Then again, all these as a result of at least a hundred peso increase in base voluntary

00:27 membership premium that our Noel Talacay details in this report.

00:34 This is Eleazar, a seaman.

00:36 The 1% increase on PhilHealth's premium contribution is a burden for him.

00:48 He said if there's an increase to his PhilHealth's monthly contribution, its services should

00:54 also level up.

00:55 If the PhilHealth's payment increases, the process of our hospitals should also improve.

01:03 PhilHealth President and CEO, Emmanuel Ledesma, assured the public that the increase in premium

01:09 will be used to implement enhancement in benefits coverage that will greatly lower out-pocket

01:15 expenses of its members once they will be hospitalized, including outpatient care.

01:21 This year, PhilHealth has a lot of plans and I think the most important of it of all, of

01:30 course digitalization is there, but we're planning to increase the benefit packages

01:35 across the board and we've already started doing that.

01:40 He stressed it will also strengthen the PhilHealth Consult a Package that support a person's

01:46 health needs through prevention and condition management.

01:50 Through this program, members can avail of free consultations, medicines, and laboratory

01:56 tests.

01:57 To date, a total of 53 outpatient medication is available for members to take advantage

02:04 of.

02:05 PhilHealth is not behind or delinquent in paying its healthcare providers' partners.

02:10 We are strengthening and improving the PhilHealth Consult a Package.

02:14 Ngayong taong, ang budget allocation natin para sa Consult a Package ay 30 billion.

02:21 As of December 31, 2023, PhilHealth has paid a total of 45.1 billion to our partner health

02:29 facilities, both private and government.

02:33 Between the months of August and December of 2023, this despite the cyber security incident

02:41 last September.

02:42 According to PhilHealth's new monthly premium contribution, the 4% deduction from an employee's

02:48 salary last year has been raised starting this month to 5%.

02:53 If the employee has a P10,000 monthly salary, 5% from the total salary, or P500 to be deducted,

03:03 the 1% increase is equivalent to a P100 deduction from the salary of its members.

03:10 This year, PhilHealth has P243 billion for benefits allocation which the health insurance

03:17 of the country assured the Filipino people that it will be used accordingly and properly.

03:23 Noel Talacay for the Nation.