Published on: March 22, 2023
By Vee Tolentino-Gumban BORONGAN CITY (PIA) -- The outpatient hemodialysis (HD) package, which previously included 90 sessions, would now include 156 sessions, as announced by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
According to Information Officer Sherwin Aquino of PhilHealth Borongan Local Health Insurance Office, PhilHealth is now preparing the guidelines or circular for the "extension" of the HD pckage and plans to deploy the improved package by August of this year.
“The aim of the expanded benefits package is to assist chronic hemodialysis patients, particularly those who have more than two dialysis sessions per week,” Aquino added.
Aquino also disclosed that the previous 90 PhilHealth-covered hemodialysis sessions per year could only suffice a patient’s dialysis sessions until September which means an additional burden of expenses for these patients because they will need to pay 2,500 pesos per session from October to December.
This increase in dialysis sessions happened behind the directive to suspend the premium rate increase that year, which was supposed to increase to 4.5% from 4%.
The upgraded 156 increased sessions follow PhilHealth's raise last year from the original 90 to 144 sessions. (MMP/VTG/PIA-Eastern Samar with Pen Pomida/RP and Jeric Carpina/ESSU Intern)
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