PhilHealth increases hemodialysis rate to PHP 4,000 per session

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) Board approved increasing the package rate for hemodialysis to PHP 4,000 per session from the current PHP 2,600.

PhilHealth also greenlit separate payments for catheter insertion and blood transfusion outside of the main case rate for admission.

House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez praised PhilHealth's decision and called on diabetic and hypertensive patients to get regular checkups to prevent kidney issues that require dialysis.

PhilHealth is considering a further increase in financial coverage to PHP 5,200 per session to include necessary medications, which would benefit over one million Filipinos undergoing dialysis.

The Department of Health (DOH), under Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, emphasized that these changes align with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s commitment to free dialysis for most Filipinos as part of broader healthcare initiatives like 'PuroKalusugan'.

PhilHealth Executive Vice President Eli Dino Santos assured there are sufficient funds for the proposed higher benefit provision, noting PhilHealth's total assets amount to PHP 589.5 billion.

Patients and stakeholders have been advocating for this change to ensure comprehensive coverage of all necessary medical expenses related to dialysis procedures.