Suspension of PhilHealth contribution hike to affect mental health, malnutrition aid
MANILA, Philippines — Some programs of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. will be affected by the suspension of the scheduled increase in membership contribution, an official of the state insurer said on Wednesday.
PhilHealth senior manager for corporate communications Rey Baleña said the agency's severe acute malnutrition treatment and outpatient package for mental health will need to be adjusted after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended the rate hike.
PhilHealth was supposed to increase the premium rate to 4.5% from 4%. Marcos also suspended the hike in income ceiling to P90,000 from P80,000.
“These new benefits, just like our outpatient benefit for mental health and the outpatient therapeutic care for severe-acute malnutrition, which are both due for rollout this year, will continue to be implemented but with some adjustments,” Baleña said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel’s “Headstart.”
The PhilHealth official added the government insurer’s Konsulta benefit package may be also adjusted. Services offered in the Konsulta package include medical check-ups, health screening and assessment, laboratory and diagnostic tests in select clinics, and select medicines.
“Perhaps we will just be adjusting the percentage of the population that will be initially covered by this. But definitely, the Konsulta program will push through,” Baleña said.
The PhilHealth board will discuss the adjustments in a meeting on Wednesday.
Marcos ordered the implementation of the increase in premium rate hike as Filipinos grapple with the economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PhilHealth and the Department of Health earlier said the premium contributions were supposed to finance the expansion of benefits in accordance with the Universal Health Care law.
The government also suspended the increases in premium contributions in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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