News
RP’s Doctors Seek PhilHealth Accreditation - February 2, 2006
MORE and more of the country’s health care professionals
are seeking accreditation with the Philippine Health Insurance
Corporation (PhilHealth), indicating a growing interest in being
part of the service delivery network of the government agency.
This was the statement made by Lorna O. Fajardo, Officer-in-charge
of the Office of the PhilHealth President and CEO in a media
briefing at the Annabel’s Restaurant recently on the occasion
of PhilHealth’s 11th Anniversary.
Fajardo said that as of December-end 2005, there are 21,148
medical professionals accredited with PhilHealth. She added
that 10,357 or 48.9 percent of these doctors are specialists,
10,486 or 49.5 percent are general practitioners and 218 or
1.03 percent are dentists.
"We also have around 87 accredited midwives providing quality
medical care to child-bearing mothers and neonatal care for
the newborn," she said.
The PhilHealth OIC also stressed that accrediting medical practitioners
is one way by which PhilHealth is able to ensure the quality
of service being availed of by its 54 million-strong membership.
"Our mandate does not end with health care financing; rather,
we are committed to similarly ensure that our members are able
to avail themselves of the highest quality of medical care from
our medical professionals," she said.
By being accredited with PhilHealth, doctors, dentists and midwives
are entitled to financial benefits for the services they provide
to PhilHealth members. Surgeons are entitled to a maximum of
P16,000 while anesthesiologists are entitled to a maximum of
P5,000 per single period of confinement, depending on the corresponding
relative value unit of the surgical procedure done on a patient.
"We continue to find ways by which we could compensate
our medical practitioners better, with the end in view of encouraging
them to stay and serve our fellowmen first before seeking greener
pastures overseas," Fajardo said.