JOINING the celebration of National Women’s Month this March, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) said women about to give birth may avail of a variety of PhilHealth benefits to help protect them from financial risk.
“Mayroon po tayong iba’t-ibang packages na maaring i-avail ng ating expectant mothers kasama na ang (We have a number of packages that expectant mothers can avail. These include) Maternity Care Package (MCP), Normal Spontaneous Delivery (NSD) Package, at Antenatal Care Package (ACP),” said PhilHealth acting president and chief executive officer Emmanuel R. Ledesma, Jr.
Ledesma said the MCP is a benefit that covers the complete essential health care services for women about to give birth during the antenatal period, entire stages of labor, normal delivery, and immediate post-partum period, including follow-up visits within 72 hours and one week after delivery.
“This package may be availed in hospitals for a case rate of P6,500 or in infirmaries, dispensaries, birthing homes, and maternity clinics for an P8,000 case rate,” he said.
The PhilHealth chief said 40 percent of the case rates would be allotted for professional fees while the remaining 60 percent will cover the facility fee.
The NSD Package, meanwhile, covers essential health services for normal low risk vaginal deliveries and post-partum period within the first 72 hours and seven (7) days after delivery.
“Aside from normal spontaneous delivery, the NSD package also covers caesarian section, complicated vaginal delivery, breech extraction, and vaginal delivery after caesarian section in accredited hospitals,” Ledesma said in mixed English and Filipino.
“Ang case rate po ng caesarian section ay P19,000 (The case rate for caesarian section is at P19,000); P9,700 if complicated vaginal delivery, and P12,120 for breech delivery and vaginal delivery after caesarian section,” he added.
Moreover, Ledesma said mothers who wished to practice family planning after giving birth may also avail of post-partum intrauterine device (IUD) insertion, which the state insurer also covers.
“The case rate of IUD insertion is P2,000, which may be claimed as a second case rate,” Ledesma said, adding this can be availed in accredited health care institutions, including birthing homes, lying-in or maternity clinics, and infirmaries or dispensaries.”
