P6M allotted for outpatient benefit package of OFWs

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation has allocated P6 million for the Department of Health as global budget for the initial implementation of the “Enhanced Overseas Workers Program Outpatient Benefit Package”.

The enhanced package for Overseas Foreign Workers includes consultations and diagnostic services such as blood count, urinalysis, fecalysis, blood typing, blood sugar, hemoglobin/hematocrit, electrocardiogram and hepatitis B screening test; preventive health services such as periodic digital rectal examination; visual acetic screening for cervical cancer, clinical breast exam, and nutrition or dietary counseling.

The package also includes visual acuity exams, psychological evaluation and debriefing, auditory evaluation and treatment for urinary tract infection, upper respiratory tract infection and acute gastroenteritis.

According to PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Lorna Fajardo, the new package will be available this year in all DOH hospitals in the country.

Fajardo said the benefit package adopts a “no out-of-pocket expenses” for the patients who avail of these services rendered at DOH hospitals.

She added that PhilHealth will assist DOH for the smooth implementation of the program and will tap the services of DOH hospitals as service providers for the members of the “Enhanced Outpatient Benefit Package for Overseas Workers” and their dependents.

The budget for the project will be released to the DOH through its National Center for Health Facility and Development that will manage and release the money to the administrators of participating DOH hospitals.

PhilHealth and DOH will also upgrade and continuously improve these hospitals’ administrative and operational capabilities to ensure and conform to PhilHealth’s standards, as well as the availment of the “zero co-pay system” of the benefit package.  — Jasmin R. Uy/MEEV