TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has paid over PHP3.73 billion in benefits in Eastern Visayas last year.
The amount covered 494,711 claims in 2023 as more members became aware of healthcare benefits intended for them, PhilHealth Eastern Visayas regional vice president Ronald Jabay said in a press briefing Monday.
“We implemented several benefit enhancements in 2023, and these include the institutionalization of 156 hemodialysis session coverage. This year, we have increased benefits by 30 percent for selected cases. This is the first time we implement an across-the-board increase,” Jabay said.
The higher payment is also driven by membership coverage expansion and a high awareness level, especially among poor families in the region, he said.
In 2022, PhilHealth paid PHP3.74 billion for the medical care of its members.
Jabay said benefit payments from 2020 to 2022 have increased dramatically due to the high demand for health services amid the pandemic.
The implementation of the point of service also contributed to higher payments, he said.
The program allows non-PhilHealth members who are financially incapable and confined in government hospitals to avail of PhilHealth benefits.
“Increasing benefit payouts mean that more members have availed of the PhilHealth benefits, and this is consistent with the mandate of providing financial risk protection for the Filipino people,” he added.
PhilHealth in Eastern Visayas is among the top regions in the country in terms of fast claims processing in the past years through e-claims.
Of the 4.8 million PhilHealth members and dependents in Eastern Visayas, 58 percent are composed of indigent members, followed by informal sector members at 14 percent, private sector employees and senior citizens at 9 percent each, government workers at 7 percent, and migrant workers at 2 percent. (PNA)
