Saturday, September 08, 2007 Philhealth pays P189 million benefits to Cordi members
FROM January to July this year, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) regional office already paid up to P189 million of benefits to its members.
The amount represents reimbursements to 55 Philhealth accredited hospitals in Cordillera, which provided hospitalization services availed of by members and their dependents during their confinements.
The government sector members set the record with the highest utilization rate of their Philhealth benefits reaching to almost P50 million. Second is the private sector members with P47.3 million of benefits availed of and claimed from this government corporation.
The Individually Paying Program and the Non-Paying Program comes in third and fourth with P28.2 million and P13.9 million, respectively. Overseas Filipino Workers, under the Overseas Workers Program, and their dependents utilized their Philhealth benefits the least with only P5.3 million.
This year's first seven months posted an amount higher by P66 million as compared to the same period last year, with only P122 million of benefits paid. The increase was brought about by the heightened awareness of members of the advantages of being a Philhealth member.
Philhealth assistant vice president for Cordillera Elvira Ver said since May 1999 up to last July, they have already paid P1.6 billion representing confinements in Cordillera only. The amount covers refund for benefits such as room and board, drugs and medicines, x-ray and laboratory expenses, professional fees and operating room fees, including several outpatient services provided by accredited hospitals in the region.
