CEBU has 26 community isolation units (CIUs), which are Department of Health (DOH)-certified public or private non-hospital facilities that serve as quarantine facilities for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients.
These CIUs are also accredited by PhilHealth and are eligible to provide PhilHealth’s Covid-19 Community Isolation Benefit Package (CCIBP) to Covid-19 cases.
Dina Cinchez, PhilHealth 7 public relations officer, said these CIUs are the International Eucharistic Congress Convention Center of Cebu Covid-19 Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility (TTMF), which is run by the DOH 7 and supported by the Bayanihan Cebu PH (a private-led organization); the Central Visayas Center for Health Development (CVCHD) Covid-19 Center; DOH-CVCHD/St. Mark’s Isolation Center; Cebu City Quarantine Center; and Centcom Emergency Quarantine Facility in Barangay Apas, Cebu City.
The other CIUs are Maayo Medical Clinic Corp. in North Park, Barangay Alang-alang, Mandaue City; Escario Central Hotel in Barangay Kamputhaw, Cebu City; New Normal Oasis for Adaptation and a Home (Noah) complex in the South Road Properties; Alegria TTMF; Allegiance Regional Care Hospitals Inc.; the Carmen Covid Care Center; Cebu South Medical Center; City of Naga Ligtas Covid Center; Dalaguete Municipal Isolation Facility; Danao City Isolation Center; Lapu-Lapu City Covid-19 Isolation Facility; Mandaue City Hospital; Mandaue City Isolation Unit; Medellin Isolation Center; Minglanilla Ligtas Covid Isolation Center; Police Regional Office 7 Makatao, Malasakit Recovery Center; San Remigio TTMF; Sibonga Isolation Facility; Sogod Cebu Covid Care Center; Sta. Rosa Community Hospital; and Technical Vocational Building TTMF 1 in Talisay City.
The CCIBP of PhilHealth replaced the Hospital Isolation Package on May 11, 2020.
Under PhilHealth Circular 2020-0018, or the revised guidelines of CCIBP, the package includes all identified services required to effectively manage Covid-19 cases needing isolation, based on applicable guidelines adopted by the DOH whether suspect, probable or confirmed.
It also covers all inputs and activities within the entire period of care at the CIU, including payment for staff and professional fees, medicines, diagnostics, transport and other operational costs.
Beneficiaries must meet the clinical and/or social criteria based on the DOH applicable issuances to avail themselves of this benefit.
Guidelines also provide that direct filing of claims by beneficiary is not allowed.
The CIU through its partner facility can file a claim through its e-Claim system for patients who are already discharged after being provided with all the mandatory services.
The corresponding maximum reimbursement is P22,449 per claim and patients will not be charged out-of-pocket payment for the services they availed themselves in these CIUs.
Earlier, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia had claimed that isolation facilities for Covid-19 patients are making money out of the pandemic due to the CCIBP.
“Isolation centers now are lucrative businesses. Because who wanted to spend P22,449 to feed and house a patient within 10 days?” she said in a press conference on Feb. 10.
Sought for response, former Cebu City councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, who manages the Noah complex, denied Garcia’s claim, saying the processing of one PhilHealth claim alone consumes much of their time.
“I don’t find it lucrative because of the 2,000 patients we served, only about 300 claims were considered qualified and PhilHealth only paid one claim (for their entire operation since July 1, 2020),” she said. (WBS)