IN just a span of three months this year, state health insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has implemented two successive increases in its benefit package for hemodialysis from P4,000 in July to P6,350/session this October, making the total financial package to almost a million pesos per patient per year.

Through PhilHealth Circular No. 2024-0023, which immediately took effect on October 9, members and their qualified dependents with chronic kidney disease stage 5 (CKD5) can now avail of the adjusted package for hemodialysis from any of the accredited dialysis facilities near them.

"This is clear proof that PhilHealth is not only listening to our members. We make good on our promise to take concrete steps to ensure that our benefit packages respond adequately to the needs of patients, which is a core objective of the Universal Health Care Law," PhilHealth President and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. said.

The PhilHealth chief pointed out that despite the increase in PhilHealth reimbursement rate of P4,000 per session last July 1, they have received reports of patients still paying significant amounts for their dialysis sessions.

"Our aim is to ensure that patients will no longer have co-payment when availing of the minimum set of services for dialysis for our countrymen to feel their PhilHealth benefit," explained Ledesma, duly recognizing the PhilHealth board's swift action on their proposal.

He also cited Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa for the P6,350 per session increase with no additional fees from patients as well as the cooperation of nephrologists and participating dialysis centers in making the no co-payment arrangement possible.

A CKD5 patient is now entitled to a maximum of P990,600 in financial protection per year, up from the previous P624,000 per year at P4,000 per session.