DAGUPAN CITY (PIA) – The Philippine Health (PhilHealth) Insurance Corporation has expanded its benefit packages for heart disease treatments, easing patients’ financial burdens and ensuring timely access to critical medical procedures.
Janette Manaois, chief of the Benefits Administration Section of PhilHealth Ilocos highlighted the development during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas held at the Benz-Ban Place in San Fernando City, La Union, on Feb. 11.
“The newest PhilHealth benefit is for Ischemic Heart Disease-Acute Myocardial Infarction (IHD-AMI), with coverage ranging from P21,900 to P523,853, depending on the medical procedures required for the patient,” she said.
Recognizing IHD-AMI as a high-burden condition, PhilHealth prioritized additional financial support to ensure patients receive life-saving interventions without undue financial stress.
What’s included in the package?
Manaois reiterated that the expanded benefit for IHD-AMI, effective Dec.21, 2024, includes Emergency Medical Services with Coordinated Referral and Interfacility Transfer (P21,900), Cardiac Rehabilitation (P66,140), Fibrinolysis (P133,500), and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) (P523,853).
She added that these packages can be availed at PhilHealth-accredited Level 1 to Level 3 hospitals, whether public or private, as long as they have the capability to provide the required services. For a list of accredited health facilities, visit https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/partners/providers/facilities/accredited/.
Republic Act No. 11223, or the Universal Health Care Act, states in Chapter II, Section 5 that every Filipino citizen is automatically included in the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP), making all Filipinos eligible to avail themselves of the benefit packages for IHD-AMI.
Claims submission no longer requires a printed copy of the Member Data Record (MDR), and all accredited health facilities must deduct PhilHealth benefits at any time, on any day of the week, upon patient discharge.
This February, the nation observes Philippine Heart Month, and with this expanded benefit package, PhilHealth takes a forward step toward making life-saving heart treatments more accessible and affordable.
By easing financial burdens and streamlining claims processing, the agency reaffirms its commitment to every Filipino’s heart health—because when it comes to saving lives, every second and every peso counts. (CCMT/JCDR/PIA Pangasinan)
