PIA Press Release
Monday, January 16, 2012 PhilHealth Coverage of SP members continueby Elsa S. Subong ILOILO CITY, Jan. 16 (PIA6) -- Indigent families listed under the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and enrolled under the PhilHealth sponsored program are still assured of continued PhilHealth Coverage. In a press release, PhilHealth information officer Lazaro Tabsing said the coverage will continue for the next two years, after the national government allocated a P12-billion budget to subsidize their insurance premiums. In Western Visayas, there are 350,943 NHTS-PR indigent beneficiaries, enrolled under PhilHealth sponsored program. Tabsing said PhilHealth Regional Office is now processing the renewal of membership of NHTS-PR indigent families for the early release of their PhilHealth ID cards. “A member has first to renew his Member Data Record (MDR) at the PhilHealth Office, with complete supporting papers. According to PhilHealth, an ID card will be issued to a beneficiary, where the validity period, from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013 for them to avail of benefits of Inpatient and Outpatient Hospital Care and Primary Health Care Package. To avail of Primary Care Benefit (PCB) package, Sponsored program members are assigned to accredited PCB facility which will provide them free diagnostic services like CBC, X-ray, sputum microscopy, urinalysis and fecalysis. The PCB facilities, according to PhilHealth, are provided with a list of assigned indigent beneficiaries for easy reference. Likewise, the local government units concerned are also informed of the member-beneficiaries from their respective localities. Tabsing said that aside from the PCB Package, Sponsored Program members also enjoy free hospitalization when the case of confinement is among the 23 medical and surgical cases, with the “no balance billing” policy now implemented, which does not require them to pay additional medical expenses. He added that with this indigent families need not worry of their health insurance as they are still covered by PhilHealth. (JCM/ESS/PIA-6) | 
