THE Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) said it would cover services for inpatient confinement for heat-related illnesses, such as heat stroke, heat cramps and heat exhaustion.
“If members or their dependents need to be admitted to any PhilHealth-accredited health facilities due to heat stroke or heat exhaustion, PhilHealth provides a benefit package amounting to P8,450,” said PhilHealth president Emmanuel Ledesma.
Last February, PhilHealth increased the benefit package for heat exhaustion and heat stroke from P6,500.
The benefits packages for other illnesses have also increased, some by more than 30 percent, or been expanded. The insurance coverage for breast cancer, for example, has increased to cover all stages, compared to extending only to Stage 3A. The maximum coverage has also increased from P100,000 to P1.4 million.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) has recorded a total of 34 cases of heat-related illnesses since the start of the year.
Six have died but the DOH is still verifying their actual causes of death.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa acknowledged that the extreme heat being experienced nationwide could cause heat-related illnesses or, even worse, death.
PhilHealth hikes benefit package for heat-related illnesses
