SOON, all Filipinos can benefit from the national health insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) with the rollout of its recent program the Konsultasyong Tama at Sulit (KonSulTa) Package.
PhilHealth-Davao started rolling out the KonSulTa Package as early as July, with Davao City as its pilot area, having 18 accredited KonSulTa providers, namely Marilog District Health Center, Calinan Health Center, Baguio District Health Center, Mintal Health Center, Toril Health Center A, Toril B Urban Health Center for the 3rd district beneficiaries;
Agdao Health Center, Sasa Health Center, Buhangin Health Center, Bunawan Health Center, Paquibato Health Center for the 2nd District beneficiaries; and Talomo South Health Center, Matina Health Center, SIR Health Center, Jacinto Health Center, Tomas Claudio Health Center, Mini Forest Health Center, Davao City Health Office Main Dispensary for the 1st district legislative beneficiaries.
The newest accredited KonSulTa provider outside Davao City but within Davao Region is the Mati City Health Office.
Germain Tan, PhilHealth-Davao chief social insurance officer (CSIO), Local Health Insurance Office head, said during the 2nd Digital PhilHealth Forward 2021 the 18 accredited KonSulTa providers could not cover the catchment population for the entire Davao City.
“That’s why we encourage health care providers to be accredited KonSulta providers,” Tan said, adding that all Filipinos can avail of the Konsulta Package, they just need to be registered as among the catchment population of the KonSulta Provider.
“Good thing with the Universal Health Care (UHC) law is that those who are even non-members or those that have not paid or have stopped paying their PhilHealth premium can avail of the KonSulTa Package, they just have to fill out the registration form to be enrolled sa PhilHealth para ma-update ang records nila,” she added.
Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco T. Duque III, through a video message during the event, siad the program proves that the premier state health insurer does not stop in its efforts to bolster and reinforce the mandate of the UHC.
“This is an expansion of the primary care benefit to cover all Filipinos. This is PhilHealth’s centerpiece program which guarantees that everyone will be taken care of by a primary healthcare provider of their choice who will deliver basic, essential, and priority individual-based services at every life stage,” Duque said.
He said through KonSulTa, an accessible primary care network will detect and stop local outbreaks before they become global epidemics and save and improve more lives with fewer children dying before reaching their fifth birthday.
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, also in his video message during the same event, calls on everyone, especially the government leaders, healthcare providers, and key stakeholders to do their part in the implementation of this initiative among the many programs of PhilHealth.
Meanwhile, Dr. Marie Allexis Campaner, OIC-Health Care Delivery Management Division (HCDMD) chief, said registrants or enrollees for the KonSulTa Package can avail of the benefits of the program throughout the year without limit.
“There are no minimum transactions in a year to avail of the Konsulta package, may capitation lang na P700 sa private health care facilities, and P500 sa public health care facilities,” she said.
Among the benefits of the KonSulta Package is initial and follow-up consultation or checkups, health screening and assessment, certain laboratory or diagnostic services and certain medicines.
Dr. Marjorie Dureza-Culas, assistant Davao City Health Officer, encouraged all private and public healthcare providers in Davao to become accredited KonSulTa providers to ensure that their facilities “will be provided with financial augmentation for upgrading and granting immediate access to all residents to medical, dental, mental, and emergency health care services.”
To avail of PhilHealth’s KonSulTa Package, one must enroll or update their membership records by filling out their Philhealth member registration form (PMRF) and attaching necessary documents as proof of identity or relationship, such as birth certificate, marriage contract, and other government accepted documents and IDs. Use the PMRF to register to accredited KonSulTa provider by writing down at the upper right corner of the PMRF the accredited KonSulta provider of their choice, or use the KonSulTa Registration Form available at nearest Philhealth offices or at the accredited KonSulTa Providers. Forms can also be downloaded at www.philhealth.gov.ph.
A list of accredited Konsulta providers can also be viewed on the same website. Then submit all the forms and documents to the nearest Philhealth offices.
For health care providers who want to be a KonSulTa provider, they could visit the PhilHealth website and check its circular number 21 series of 2020, Annex A for information on how to accredit their facilities.