MANILA, 16 August 2006 — Vacationing or returning OFWs and dependents will get enhanced medical benefits from Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) as it adopts a “zero co-pay system” or free medical services with accredited hospitals until December 2007. PhilHealth said it has expanded and enhanced the current Outpatient Benefit (OPB) Package under its Overseas Workers Program to make it more responsive to the needs of overseas Filipino workers and their legal dependents.
It recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Health (DOH) specifying allocation of six million pesos as a global budget for the initial implementation of the Enhanced OWP Outpatient Benefit Package from July to December 2007. “The benefit package also adopts a zero co-pay system, meaning there will be no out-of-pocket expenses for OWP members and dependents availing themselves of the services rendered by DOH hospitals,” said Lorna O. Fajardo, acting PhilHealth president and CEO.
Among the enhanced benefits for OFWs are consultations, diagnostic services such as complete blood count, routine urinalysis, fecalysis, fasting blood sugar, blood typing, hemoglobin/hematocrit, electrocardiogram and hepatitis B screening test; promotive/preventive health services such as periodic digital rectal exam, visual acetic acid screening for cervical cancer, periodic clinical breast exam and nutrition or dietary counseling.
Also included in the health package are visual acuity exam, psychological evaluation and debriefing, auditory evaluation and treatment for urinary tract infection, upper respiratory tract infection and acute gastro-enteritis. PhilHealth will tap the services of DOH hospitals throughout the country as the service provider of the Enhanced OPB Package for OWP members and dependents.
The new package will be available until September this year in government hospitals in Metro Manila.
From October onward, the package will also be available in other DOH hospitals in various parts of the country. PhilHealth will release the list of participating hospitals soon. Under the agreement, Fajardo said, PhilHealth will provide technical assistance and other support services to the DOH for the implementation and administration of the package.
“We will also monitor and evaluate the implementation of the benefit package to make sure that it is done in accordance with the objectives of the National Health Insurance Program,,” Fajardo said.
In implementing the Enhanced OPB Package, the DOH, through the National Center for Health Facility and Development will manage and release the budget to the Hospital Administrator of the participating DOH hospitals and will oversee and supervise the implementation of the benefit package.
It will also upgrade the administrative and operational capabilities of the participating hospitals to conform with PhilHealth’s accreditation standards and most importantly adopt the zero co-pay system in the availment of the benefit package, Fajardo added.
