PhilHealth intensifies info campaign on tuberculosis

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Health (PhilHealth) in Central Visayas reminds members of its benefit package for TB treatment.

In Cebu City, there are five PhilHealth-accredited TB-DOTS centers: the Cebu TB Pavilion DOTS Center, Mabolo DOTS Center, Perpetual Succour Hospital-PPMD; Sacred Heart Hospital-PPMD 7 and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

In a press statement sent to The FREEMAN, an employed or individually-paying member shall be entitled to avail of the TB- directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS) package after paying at least three months of contribution within the immediate six months prior to enrolment at the DOTS center.

The benefit package is worth P4,000 which covers diagnostic work-up, consultation services and anti-TB drugs. The amount is paid to the accredited TB-DOTS facility handling the treatment on an outpatient set-up.

The benefit package will be paid to the DOTS facility in two separate payments. The first payment of P2,500 will be paid after the facility has completed the intensive phase of DOTS treatment for the patient, and the final payment of P1,500 will be paid after the end of the maintenance phase considered as the date of treatment.

The concerned DOTS facility will settle the payments to referral centers, physicians and other health workers. Additional services rendered or extensions of treatment are not covered under the benefit package.

Data from the Department of Health (DOH) Central Visayas said there were 12,461 identified cases of TB in the region in 2011 and almost 97 percent of these were new cases.

PhilHealth reiterates that it covers outpatient anti-TB treatment or directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS) for new cases of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary TB. New case means that the patient never had treatment for TB or has taken anti-TB drugs but for less than a month.

PhilHealth also released Circular No. 18, series of 2011 in support for the United Nation’s Millenium Development Goals (MDG) to reduce the prevalence and mortality of TB by 50%. This circular provides the guidelines for the reimbursement of claims for TB in children nine years old and below.

Last year, PhilHealth Region 7 paid over 1.5 million pesos worth of coverage to accredited TB-DOTS facilities for a total of 785 new cases of TB.

As of February this year, there are 29 PhilHealth accredited TB-DOTS facilities in Cebu province, 35 in Bohol, 18 in Oriental Negros and one in Siquijor where members and qualified dependents can avail of the benefit package.

TB is an infectious disease caused by bacteria. A person gets infected with tuberculosis bacteria when he or she inhales minute particles of infected sputum from the air. The bacteria get in the air when someone who is infected with TB coughs, sneezes, shouts or spits. The usual symptoms for an active TB infection are a generalized tiredness or weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats.

In more severe cases, the symptoms can include coughing, chest pain, coughing up of sputum or blood and shortness of breath. — Garry B. Lao/JPM (THE FREEMAN)