PhilHealth-Eastern Visayas pays P1.7-B to members

TACLOBAN CITY, July 3 -- The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has paid PHP1.7 billion worth of benefits in Eastern Visayas during the first five months of this year, raising confidence for a PHP4-billion payout by the end of the year.

Benefit payments from 2013 to 2018 have been increasing at an average 17 percent growth, said PhilHealth Regional Vice President Renato Limsiaco.

“Considering the trend of PHP340 million average payout per month, the regional office is projecting a PHP4 billion payment for this year,” Limsiaco said during a multi-sectoral forum held in this city on Tuesday.

The higher payment are driven by membership coverage expansion, free health insurance coverage due to disasters such as Super Typhoon Yolanda, Typhoon Nona and the July 6, 2017 Leyte earthquake, and increased awareness among members.

Limsiaco said the implementation of the point of service also contributed to higher payment.

The program, funded in the 2017 regular budget, allows non-PhilHealth members who are financially incapable and confined in government hospitals to avail of PhilHealth benefits.

“Increasing benefit payouts mean that more members have availed of the PhilHealth benefits and this is consistent with the mandate of providing financial risk protection for the Filipino people,” Limsiaco said.

The official also announced that the regional office here is the fastest processor of claims for the month of May, among all PhilHealth field offices nationwide. The region processes claims for 27 days, way below the 60 days allowed by the law, said Limsiaco.

“Contributing to the faster processing time is the implementation of the electronic claims system, wherein health facilities are submitting their claim documents electronically,” Limsiaco added.

At least 322 hospital and non-hospital facilities, comprising 89 percent of the region’s health facilities are already adopting the e-claims.

The biggest chunk of payment in Eastern Visayas region went to the indigent sector at 33 percent, followed by the informal sector at 18 percent and senior citizens at 17 percent.

The employed sector got 16 percent share; the sponsored members at 11 percent, while the retirees and pensioners under the lifetime members program round up at four percent.

The figures are consistent with the membership profile of the region, Limsiaco said.

Of the 4.7 million PhilHealth members and dependents, 57 percent is composed of indigent members followed by informal sector members at 15 percent. Senior citizens and private sector employees are at nine percent each and migrant workers at two percent. (SQM/PNA)