ON ITS 24th anniversary, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) launched its enhanced programs and several innovations designed to implement better universal health care in the country during its roadshow entitled “PhilHealth Forward” at the Robinsons Galleria Cebu on Feb. 14, Thursday.
These included the enhanced Newborn Care Package (NCP) and the first PhilHealth National Quiz Bee.
The NCP is a benefit package for essential health services of the newborn during the first few days of life. It covers essential newborn care (immediate drying of the baby, timely cord clamping, and first dose of hepatitis B and BCG vaccines), newborn screening tests and hearing screening tests.
According to Dr. Eliza Batucan of PhilHealth’s Accreditation and Quality Assurance Section 7, the NCP covers the expanded newborn screening test (ENBS.)
“In the NCP introduced in 2006, only six panel newborn screening were available. Now it’s from six to 28 disorders,” she said.
“The newborn screening test is a blood test done on the newborn 24 to 72 hours after birth to early detect and manage several congenital disorders,” Batucan said.
The ENBS costs more than the six-panel test. To cover the additional case, the NCP rate was raised from P1,750 to P2,950. (Wenilyn Sabalo, USJ-R Intern)