THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation-Davao Region (PhilHealth-Davao) reported on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, that it achieved remarkable milestones for 2024 garnering 95.66 percent registration rate as of November.
Dr. Gianelli Kristine R. Remocaldo, Medical Specialist I, Healthcare Delivery and Management Division (HCMD)-Benefits Admin Section, discussed during the Year-End Media Forum 2024 that the number of individuals registering to the state health insurance is due to their continuous “commitment in providing quality healthcare services to Dabawenos” and “other newly upgraded coverage solely offered for their beneficiaries” in line with their 2025 plans.
This year, PhilHealth Circular No. 2024-0020 expanded coverage by adding insurance that covers single parents and their dependents. Membership participation has also been strengthened by improved online services through the PhilHealth Member Portal, a move toward digitization, and broad exposure through marketing initiatives including Konsulta caravans and industry-specific Advocates and Knowledge Officer (AKO) training.
For its collection as of October 2024, PhilHealth-Davao achieved 87 percent collection performance, equating to P4.9 billion of its P5.67 billion target mainly due to the initiatives conducted by the agency particularly the Employer Forum and the first Employer AKO training.
Meanwhile, PhilHealth has also introduced enhanced benefits and case rate packages, such as P1.4 million for breast cancer and adjusted rates for neonatal sepsis, severe dengue, bronchial asthma and hemodialysis. The Konsulta program also has adjusted to P1,700 annual capitation per beneficiary while benefits for Outpatient Therapeutic Care for Severe Acute Malnutrition were also introduced.
Notably, the region's government hospitals had a 90.53 percent compliance rate with the No Balance Billing Policy, providing accessible utilization of medical care.
Remocaldo added that at present they have 490 accredited health facilities, 2,318 accredited health care professionals, 128 accredited KonSulTa facilities, and 293 KonSulTa physicians.
Additionally, the official said that PhilHealth-Davao has paid out P6.9 billion for 607,199 valid claims this year while a total amount of P137,323,689.72 was paid to KonSulTa Package Providers (KPPs) from 2022 until October this year.
PhlHealth-Davao's current goals for 2025 include enhancing their data accuracy, increasing registration efforts, integrating KonSulTa in businesses and schools to promote healthier settings, and to fortify agency collaborations and institutionalize AKO roles.
In terms of subsidy, Senate President Francis Escudero said early this November that there will be no additional subsidies under the proposed P6.352 trillion national budget that will be given to the government-owned health insurance.
“Subsidy for any PhilHealth program will not increase with the amount of money they have. We should maximize the fiscal space we have for the coming year,” Escudero confirmed. DEF