THE Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is in favor of increasing its benefit packages.

PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. told the House Committee on Health on Wednesday that increasing the benefit packages is PhilHealth's prime mandate.

"We have to increase the benefit packages, make things easier for the people. The less out-of-pocket [expenses], the better for the country and the better for the health system of the country," Ledesma Jr. said.

PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. Photo from official Facebook page of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation

He said, "We are one with Speaker Martin when he says we have to aggressively and continuously increase the case packages of PhilHealth across the board."

On Tuesday, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez ordered the committee to review PhilHealth's charter to expand patient benefits.

Ledesma said the 30-percent coverage rate increase effective February 14 for nearly all its benefit packages was just the start, "and we will really move forward."

He said that PhilHealth's benefit panel recently approved the enhancement of the Z Benefits for breast cancer. This will take effect in March 2024.

Ledesma also mentioned other enhancements made by PhilHealth to benefit packages.

These included the coverage increase for high-risk pneumonia to P90,100 from P32,000.

Ledesma said the Z Benefits package for colon and rectal cancers was recently enhanced, "allowing patients with metachronous colorectal tumors to re-avail the package for colon and rectal cancer."

He also said that the package rate for select orthopedic implants was increased.