PhilHealth releases statement on advance payment in hospitals
PhilHealth has this statement regarding those hospitals that are asking advance payment from COVID-19 patients.
Getting sick is not cheap, especially now that the entire Philippines is threatened by the new coronavirus disease 2019. Aside from the fear of having no enough place in hospitals due to the pandemic, people also fear the hospital bill that they will have.
Based on the report from ABS-CBN, the bills that COVID-19 patients paid in hospital ranges from P43,000 to close to P800,000. With this amount, many Filipinos would really worry about where to get their financial means.
Previously, PhilHealth vowed to answer the hospital bills of COVID-19 patients until April 14 but beyond that, a 4-tier criteria for coverage will be applied.
In a recent report from Interaksyon, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation called out to hospitals not to ask COVID-19 patients for their advance payments. The agency vowed to pay this.
Dr. Shirley Domingo, the spokesperson of the agency said this in a statement: “Sana po huwag na nating hingan like advance payments and ating pasyente kasi siyempre nahihirapan din sila financially ngayon. Sinabi namin, sasagutin po ng PhilHealth, depende ‘yun kung full payment o case rates.”
Domingo also reiterated that they are continually giving financial assistance to COVID-19 patients even though the enhanced community quarantine was extended until April 30, based on the report.
Meanwhile, in the latest report from the official website of the state health insurer, it was stated that “a total of P4.1 billion have now been approved and are currently being released to various hospitals with Covid-19 cases.”
What can you say about this?
READ ALSO: PLDT, Smart Announce 6-Month Installment Payment Program
April 16, 2020
BGEN. RICARDO C. MORALES, AFP(RET)FICD
Philhealth
President and CEO
our hospital dr. r.a.m. albutra general hospital located at kabacan, north cotabato is catering suspected cases of covid-19. though no covid-19 testing was done yet because of lack or shortage of testing kits. our cases were coordinated already with our mesu/rhu and forms were given to us for our suspects but still no action because of the unavailability of testing kits. one of our suspect with symptoms typical of covid-19 we learned yesterday that his brother is confirmed covid-19 case. result came out yesterday in manila. hope this will be given action and solution because what is at stake is life. with this, still waiting for the advance payment thru IRM because our operation was so much affected because of lockdowns, covid-19 scare causing slowing down of our economy. even lifting of this ECQ it is still not easy for us to recover in our operation. we submitted already our application for IRM with signed contract last week of March 2020. i hope this will be given action the soonest time. thank you!
sincerely,
dr. richard anthony m. albutra
ceo
April 16, 2020
BGEN. RICARDO C. MORALES, AFP(RET)FICD
Philhealth
President and CEO
our hospital dr. r.a.m. albutra general hospital located at kabacan, north cotabato is catering suspected cases of covid-19. though no covid-19 testing was done yet because of lack or shortage of testing kits. our cases were coordinated already to our mesu/rhu and forms were given to us for our suspects but still no action because of the unavailability of testing kits. one of our suspect with symptoms typical of covid-19 we learned yesterday that his brother is confirmed covid-19 case. result came out yesterday in manila. hope this will be given action and solution because what is at stake is life. with this, still waiting for the advance payment thru IRM because our operation was so much affected because of lockdowns, covid-19 scare causing slowing down of our economy. even lifting of this ECQ it is still not easy for us to recover in our operation. we submitted already our application for IRM with signed contract last week of March 2020. i hope this will be given action the soonest time. thank you!
sincerely,
dr. richard anthony m. albutra
ceo