Bacolod City – The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) has expanded its out-patient package services to cover all Filipinos including their qualified dependents.
Janimhe Jalbuena, Philhealth Public Affairs Unit head, said that the Philhealth KonSulTa program only covered one individual before. But this time, the program covers a member’s qualified dependents and also expanded the services it offers.
Jalbuena added that the program only covered seven diagnostic laboratories before, but this time, there are 13 laboratories for members to avail of services from.
Members who are registered in Philhealth’s KonSulTa providers can also avail of 21 different medicines, she said.
KonSulTa is a program of Philhealth which covers individual-based services, including initial and follow-up primary care consultations, health screening and assessment and access to selected diagnostic services and medicines.
Jalbuena said their members can choose KonSulTa providers accredited by Philhealth and register. They can then visit the KonSulTa provider of their choice to avail of consultations.
The KonSulTa benefit package can be availed by members for free if the provider they choose is a government agency. However, if they choose a private KonSulTa provider, they will have a personal share of ₱ 500 for their services, she said.
Jalbuena said they started the pilot test of the program in 2020, in the provinces of Aklan and Guimaras in Region 6, and expanded it last year.
However, they started to implement the out-patient program in 2012, with only one member who could avail of the program at that time, such as senior citizens, lifetime kasambahay, indigent and sponsored individuals.
This time the program is open to all Filipinos and their qualified dependents, she added. Philhealth recently health a symposium on this development in Bacolod City. (Chrysee Semillano via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy of TVDS)
