Pampanga First District Representative Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. said he wants mental health emergency, psychiatric, and neurological services included in the PhilHealth Mental Health Benefit Package for Out-Patient, through House Bill No. 2933, “Expanding The Primary Care Package Under PhilHealth To Include Benefit Package For Mental Health And For Other Purposes.”
In the explanatory note of the bill filed on August 4, Lazatin stated that “there is a dearth of mental health services including hospitals and facilities in the country for individuals facing mental health challenges.”
The current benefit packages for out-patient offered by PhilHealth amount to P9,000 for General Health Services and P16,000 for Specialty Health Services annually.
Due to the expensive treatment for mental health disorders, Lazatin said the current benefit package is not enough.
He added that there is a need to expand its coverage to include other services in order to make a significant impact in addressing mental health concerns.