PhilHealth to provide COVID-19 home isolation benefit package
The Philippine Health Insurance Company (PhilHealth) said on Tuesday, Sept. 14, that patients who are mild and asymptomatic can avail of the state insurer’s COVID-19 Home Isolation Benefit Package (CHIBP).
PhilHealth VP for Corporate Affairs and spokesperson Dr. Shirley Domingo announced that the benefit package reimbursement rate is P5,917.
Included in the package are 10 days of home isolation consultations with a doctor from PhilHealth-accredited facilities that are also the providers of CHIBP, daily monitoring with a nurse through telecommunication, home isolation kits, patient education, and referral to higher facilities or hospitals in case their health deteriorates.
Domingo explained that the reimbursement for the package will go directly to the PhilHealth-accredited facilities and will cover all the services provided or rendered.
“The money will go to the accredited facilities… Hindi na ibibigay sa patient kasi these are the services rendered by the facilities. So ‘yung ibibigay sa patient ay ang home kit at consultations.”
Domingo said that patients who can avail of the CHIBP should be residing in areas declared as “surge areas” by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF). She explained that these are areas under Enhanced Community Quarantine and Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).
Domingo added that patients must also meet their social and clinical criteria and will be assessed by their Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) before they can avail of the package.
“Yung social criteria (na tinitignan) ay ang facilities sa bahay nila. Kung may sariling kwarto…may sarili banyo, may (proper) ventilation ba ang bahay, may sariling device ang pasyente para ma-contact ang kanilang providers. At sana meron ding pwede na mag-alaga sa kanila sa bahay para ‘di na sila lalabas ng kwarto.”
Domingo announced that interested PhilHealth accredited facilities—clinics, infirmaries, and hospitals—can re-apply as CHIBP providers. They need to submit additional documents, namely a completely filled out self-assessment tool, a signed performance commitment as a CHIBP provider, and a letter of intent.
Domingo said they’re currently encouraging their facilities to submit a letter of intent and re-apply for accreditation. The list of accredited facilities as CHIBP providers will be posted on their website as soon as possible.