Reps. urge PhilHealth to cover full COVID-19 treatment cost

Members of the House of Representatives, including Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, Rep. Mike Defensor, and Rep. Precious Hipolito-Castelo, are urging PhilHealth to cover the full cost of COVID-19 treatment.

Rep. Defensor stated that PhilHealth has sufficient financial resources, with over P175 billion expected for the year from contributions and subsidies, to absorb the entire cost of treating COVID-19 patients.

PhilHealth had previously announced cost limits for pneumonia-related to COVID-19, ranging from P43,997 for mild to P786,384 for critical cases.

This decision reverses an earlier statement by PhilHealth president Ricardo Morales on April 2, who pledged full coverage for all COVID-19 patients.

Lawmakers argue that these limits will disadvantage poor patients who may avoid seeking medical care due to potential high out-of-pocket expenses.

They also suggested that PhilHealth could seek additional funds from the national government and Congress if needed.