News Archive 2003
PhilHealth Ups Hospital Room & Board Allowances - March 7, 2003
THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) today announced that it is increasing the maximum allowable benefits for hospital room and board fees from P120.00 per day to as much as P400.00 for 45 days annually per member.
Dr. Francisco T. Duque III, PhilHealth President and CEO said the PhilHealth Board of Directors recently approved the increase in Medicare benefits for hospital room and board from P120.00 to P200.00 per day in primary category hospitals; from P220.00 to P300.00 per day in secondary category hospitals; and from P345.00 to P400.00 per day in tertiary category hospitals.
These benefits will apply to all discharges starting April 1, 2003.
“As much as possible, we want to introduce responsive benefit items that will truly be enjoyed by our members nationwide,” Duque said. “With the ever-increasing cost of maintaining hospital rooms for patients, it is but appropriate that we similarly increase our benefit coverage for such expense item.”
At present, tertiary hospitals charge at least P750.00 per day for room and board fees. “As such, our maximum allowance of P400.00 per day for 45 days annually per member is a fairly substantial amount,” Duque said.
“We hope that with this increase, our members will be assured of adequate and appropriate lodging while confined iun any of our 1,511 accredited hospitals nationwide,” Duque said.
He added that plans are also underway for the introduction of other benefit packages that will benefit PhilHealth members nationwide. “We hope to formally launch at least two other benefit packages within the year.”
Last year, PhilHealth also increased the maximum allowable benefit amounts for x-ray and laboratory tests, as well as drugs and medicines and professional fees with the introduction of the new Relative Value Scale for surgical operations.