TO BRING their services closer to the public, officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) are planning to open up five additional “service desks” in Central Visayas this year.
Marjorie Cabrieto, Philhealth 7 vice president, made the announcement during the “Kapihan sa PIA” program on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023.
Cabrieto said they are set to install two service desks in the cities of Bogo and Toledo in Cebu but they are still currently in negotiations with these local government units.
“Bogo’s mayor already offered us a space, table and chair for our service desk. Next week, we will be in Bogo City to sign a memorandum of agreement with the mayor. As for Toledo, we will also be there next week to negotiate with the mayor. Initially, the mayor was very responsive to the plan to open their own service desk,” Cabrieto said in Cebuano.
She added that they are also targeting to install service desks in the towns of Tubigon and Talibon in Bohol and in Bantayan Island in northern Cebu.
Philhealth’s Service Desk program aims to provide off-site services for their members and those who plan to be members of the state health insurance program.
But unlike Philhealth’s Local Health Insurance Office (LHIO), the Service Desk can offer only limited services such as the registration of new members and updating of the records of those who already registered.
LHIOs, on the other hand, can accept the payment of member contributions and other transactions.
Philhealth 7 currently has eight LHIOs in the region. Four are located in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Danao and Carcar, while two are in the province of Bohol that are situated in Tagbilaran City and the town of Talibon.
In Negros Oriental, Philhealth 7 has an LHIO in Dumaguete City and Bais City, while there is a satellite office in the province of Siquijor that function as an LHIO.
New packages
Despite the suspension of the increase in Philhealth’s premium rate this year, Cabrieto assured that their services to the public won’t be affected, adding that they are even set to launch new health packages.
Cabrieto said that Philhealth currently has a “robust” budget to fund its program, citing the additional funds coming from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
One of their new packages known as “Mental Health Package,” is currently in its finalization phase and details as to the inclusion will be released in the following months.
Dina Cinchez, Philhealth 7 information officer, added that Philhealth plans to increase the sessions of the hemo-dialysis package. Currently, members can only avail of 90 sessions per year.
She added that as of December 2022, Philhealth 7 had a total of seven million beneficiaries in the region, including the dependents of its members.
With the implementation of the Universal Healthcare Law, both officials urged the public to visit the nearest Philhealth office and register free of charge.