PhilHealth approves Speaker Romualdez’s request for drugs for dialysis patients
HOUSE Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez thanked the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) for its quick response to his request to increase the per session coverage price of hemodialysis for Philhealth members.
PhilHealth recently announced that the package rate of hemodialysis has increased to P6,350 per session from the previous P4,000 to cover the necessary drugs while the patient is in the dialysis session.
It can be recalled that Speaker Romualdez recently asked House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo to contact PhilHealth to increase PhilHealth’s per session coverage for dialysis patients so that they do not have to pay anything more while undergoing dialysis treatment.
PhilHealth President and Chief executive officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. and Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa immediately responded and approved the request of the House leadership.
According to Speaker Romualdez, “ito ang parating idinudulog sa aking tanggapan ng mga dialysis patients ng kung pwede raw sagutin na rin ng Philhealth ang mga gamot na ginagamit sa bawat session nila”.
“Matutuwa nito ang maraming Pilipino dahil malaking tulong ito lalo na sa mga kababayan nating mahihirap na may chronic kidney disease (CKD). Wala na silang gagsastusin talaga,” Romualdez added.
Based on the records of the Department of Health (DOH), more than one million Filipinos have kidney disease and 80 percent of them undergo dialysis.
PhilHealth has also recently responded to Speaker Romualdez’s request that wheelchairs, crutches, walkers and prescription glasses be made free to PhilHealth members in January.
According to the Speaker, such adjustment in dialysis coverage in PhilHealth is still part of President Marcos’ program to provide proper and free health care to poor Filipinos.
