The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) reiterated anew that medical frontliners and allied workers are entitled to full hospitalization coverage should they contract Covid-19 for the whole duration of the pandemic.
The Agency made the announcement to remind all hospitals in the country that they should not be charging any co-payment against patients whose job is in the medical frontlines. The call is in support of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s appeal to afford healthcare workers and frontliners with all possible support in recognition of the risks they endure on a day-to-day basis to help treat patients of the dreaded disease.
The call was also in line with its Circular No. 2020-0011 issued on April 14, 2020 which guaranteed “full financial risk for Filipino health workers and patients against coronavirus disease”. The said circular also defined health workers as “persons engaged in health and health-related work, regardless of employment status, which include doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, administrative and support personnel in health facilities, utility and security personnel working in health facilities, health volunteers deployed in health facilities and staff and personnel working in government health agencies.”
Aside from full coverage, these health workers are also entitled to PhilHealth benefits for SARS-CoV-2 testing package ranging from P901 to P3,409 as stipulated in its Circular No. 2020-0017.
PhilHealth reminded that hospitals face sanctions should they be found to have refused admission or charged any co-payment to any health workers exposed and treated for Covid-19. It also asked for broader public support to invoke this privilege granted by law and to immediately report any information of abuse or negligence on the part of health care providers.
