PhilHealth Maternity benefits increased to P6,500
PhilHealth members as well as their dependents, who are expecting to give birth this November, are now entitled to avail of the increased benefit for normal deliveries.
Following the unparalleled increase in PhilHealth benefits last April 5, 2009 up by 35 percent without a consequent increase in premium contribution, PhilHealth in its continuous drive to provide its members with their much needed medical protection attuned to the increasing costs of hospitalization, has increased its Normal Spontaneous Delivery (NSD) and Maternity Care Packages (MCP) with additional P2,000 from P4,500 to P6,500.
This new case rate covers normal deliveries of the first four (4) births availed through accredited hospital and non-hospital (lying-in clinics, birthing homes or midwife-managed clinics) facilities.
Inclusive of the P6,500 are payment for the facility, prenatal care and professional fee. For patients confined at the hospital, facility fee component which covers room & board; drugs & medicines; laboratory, supplies & other ancillary procedures; labor, delivery and recovery room and other medically necessary charges will be paid at P2,500. The other P2,500 is payment for the professional fee of the attending doctor for the delivery, immediate post-partum care and counseling services rendered while the remaining P1,500 is for re-imbursement of member’s prenatal expenses for medicines, laboratory tests and ancillary procedures, tetanus immunization and prenatal consultation prior to delivery provided these are supported by official receipts.
However, for availment of Maternity Care Package (MCP) through non-hospital facilities will also cover P5,000 as payment for the facility and professional fees while re-imbursement for member’s prenatal expenses will be paid at P1,500 upon submission of valid official receipts.
“The P6,500 case rate for normal delivery in non-hospital facilities like maternity and mid-wife clinics is sufficient enough to cover all the medical expenses of the patient,” said Dra. Bernadette Reynes, Head of the Accreditation & Quality Assurance Section of PhilHealth Regional Office VI. According to her, member will no longer need to pay for other expenses thus ensuring PhilHealth patients 100 percent coverage of the package. “RHUs accredited as Maternity Center as well as other birthing homes are expected to provide such services to PhilHealth patients for free so that members availing the MCP benefits will no longer incur out of the pocket expense,” she added.
Aside from the NSD/MCP package, newly born babies are also entitled to the routine newborn care (NCP) including newborn screening at a case rate of P1,000 as an add-on to the benefits availed by the patient-mother.
