A LOCAL tertiary hospital in Iloilo City has been contracted by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for kidney transplantation to provide access to state-of-the-art medical facilities to residents in Western Visayas suffering from renal failure.
Lourdes Diocson, regional vice president for PhilHealth in Western Visayas, said the launching of the project, which has a package rate of P600,000, was held Friday, January 22, at the St. Pauls Hospital as the first Z Benefit Provider for kidney transplant in the region.
The Z Benefit Package is offered to PhilHealth members to address health conditions that trigger prolonged hospitalization and expensive treatments.
The hospital has been caring for patients since 2008 with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and continues to do a high number of adult transplants to the residents in Western Visayas with ESRD.
PhilHealth support was only limited then to the package rate of P26,5000 to P61,500 for the recipient and at P27,000 package rate for the donor.
It was only this year when St. Pauls Hospital expressed its intent to be a Z Benefit Provider for kidney transplant.
Diocson said that Philhealth is excited about the significant change with a substantial financial protection under PhilHealths Z-Benefit Package.
Under the Case Type Z benefit, PhilHealth provides benefit packages for illnesses that are perceived to be medically and financially catastrophic that further pushes patients into prolonged hospitalization and very expensive medical treatment.
The P600,000 benefit package being paid for by PhilHealth for kidney transplantation is the highest benefit package under the Z-benefit which covers the total cost of treatment including drugs and medicines, operating room and professional fees for the entire course of treatment, including mandatory and other services.
St. Pauls Hospital, as the first contracted facility for kidney transplantation package, must provide the mandatory services requirements for ESRD and must adhere to the No Balance Billing (NBB) Policy of the Corporation wherein no out-of-pocket expenditures shall be charged to PhilHealth members and dependents under the Sponsored Program, Indigent Program and Kasambahays.
All other member categories shall have a fixed co-pay not exceeding P600,000.
Other contracted facilities for kidney transplantation outside Western Visayas are National Kidney Transplant Institute in Metro Manila, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Misamis Oriental, Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City and Davao Regional Hospital in Tagum City.