News
PhilHealth Expands SARS Package - June 22, 2006
STARTING this month, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation
(PhilHealth) is expanding its benefit package for Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) to include Influenza Pandemic (IP)
and Avian Flu.
In a recent interview over Dear PhilHealth on Radio dzRH, Dr.
Eduardo P. Banzon, PhilHealth Vice President for Health Finance
Policy and Services Sector said that influenza pandemic and
avian flu are emerging infections that can spread easily and
may cause serious illness when transmitted to humans. To date,
the Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia that has
been spared from the said diseases.
Banzon emphasized that there are at least three reasons why
PhilHealth decided to expand the SARS Package. First, he said,
the government agency wants to be responsive to the needs of
its members. "Pumasok ang PhilHealth upang masigurado
na matugunan namin ang mga pangangailangan ng miyembro kung
sila ay magkasakit."
Another reason was for PhilHealth to help stop the spread of
the disease and third, "…gusto naming ipaalam
sa mga health workers na kung bumalik ang SARS o dumating ang
bird flu ay narito ang PhilHealth sa likod nila bilang mga miyembro
namin."
The benefit packages provide for a P50,000.00 coverage for members
and their legal dependents who will be confined due to SARS,
influenza pandemic or avian flu. On the other hand, health workers
who are afflicted as a result of attending to patients with
these diseases may avail themselves of as much as P100,000.00
to cover professional fees and hospital charges.
These benefits may be availed of in hospitals that will be designated
by the Department of Health (DOH) as SARS or influenza pandemic
receiving hospitals.
Afflicted health workers need to present a certification from
the hospital that indeed, they contracted the disease while
attending to patients with SARS, influenza pandemic or avian
flu.
He added that should Filipino health workers in other countries
be confined due to any of these diseases, a doctor’s certification
to this effect will be an additional requirement for benefits
availment. Banzon stressed that "…ito ay isang
benepisyo ng PhilHealth na sana ay walang mag-avail. Pero kung
dumating dito ang avian flu, influenza pandemic o SARS, laging
nakahanda ang PhilHealth."