The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) announced the granting of higher benefit packages and wider coverages for different health cases of all its members starting January 2025.
Based on PhilHealth Circular Number 2024-0037 the amounts allocated to cover more than 9,000 health cases or diseases have been increased up to more than 100%.
PhilHealth Senior Vice President for Health Finance Dr. Israel Francis Pargas said the amount covered for kidney transplant benefit package has been raised from P600, 000.00 to P800, 000.00-P2 Million.
Dr. Pargas also announced that PhilHealth’s coverage on angioplasty has also been increased from P30, 000.00 to P530, 000.00.
PhilHealth also increased the amount coverage for low risk pneumonia which is the most common claim among PhilHealth members from P19, 500.00 to P29, 500.00.
Aside from the increased amount for different case packages, PhilHealth also announced that starting this year they will also pay for outpatients’ hospital expenses.
Prior to this, members who are not confined for 24 hours in the hospital are not qualified to avail of the PhilHealth benefits hence they have to pay for their hospital bills.
PhilHealth got zero subsidy under the 2025 National budget after it was discovered that they still have more than P500B reserved funds.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr said PhilHealth has no problem on budget but they have difficulties in implementing their expanded programs.
Abner is an award-winning journalist. He received the prestigious 2015 Titus Brandsma Award for Community Communication in the Philippines and participated in the 2016 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the United States of America, sponsored by the US Embassy in the Philippines. Founder of WATCH NORTH COTABATO, a media-citizens’ transparency group. He worked as a correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and CNN Philippines. His experience in broadcasting includes anchoring for Brigada News FM in Kidapawan and General Santos City and Brigada News TV. He anchors Tira Brigada via 105.1 Brigada News FM Manila, Mondays-Saturdays.