PhilHealth hikes outpatient benefit package of OFWs

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation has expanded and enhanced the current Outpatient Benefit Package of Overseas Filipino Workers under its Overseas Workers Program to make it more responsive to the needs of OFWs and their legal dependents.

Among the enhanced benefits for OFWs are consultations, diagnostic services such as complete blood count, routine urinalysis, fecalysis, fasting blood sugar, blood typing, hemoglobin/hematocrit, electrocardiogram and hepatitis B screening test; promotive/preventive health services such as periodic digital rectal examination, visual acetic acid screening for cervical cancer, periodic clinical breast exam and nutrition or dietary counseling.

Also included are visual acuity exam, psychological evaluation and debriefing, auditory evaluation and treatment for urinary tract infection, upper respiratory tract infection and acute gastroenteritis.

The new package will be made available this year in all Department of Health hospitals nationwide.

Through a memorandum of agreement with the DOH, PhilHealth has allocated P6 million for the DOH as global budget for the initial implementation of the Enhanced Overseas Workers Program Outpatient Benefit Package.

The benefit package also adopts a zero co-pay system, meaning there will be no out-of-pocket expenses for OWP members and dependents availing themselves of the services rendered by DOH hospitals,” Lorna Fajardo, acting PhilHealth president and chief executive officer, said.

Under the agreement, PhilHealth will provide technical assistance and other support services to the DOH for the implementation and administration of the package.

The PhilHealth will tap the services of DOH hospitals throughout the country as the service provider of the Enhanced Outpatient Benefit Package for OWP members and dependents.

In implementing the Enhanced OBP Package, the DOH through the National Center for Health Facility and Development will manage and release the budget to the hospital administrator of the participating DOH hospitals and will oversee and supervise the implementation of the benefit package.

It will also upgrade or enhance the administrative and operational capabilities of the participating hospitals to conform to PhilHealth’s accreditation standards and, most importantly, adopt the zero co-pay system in the availment of the benefit package. — Jasmin R. Uy/MEEV