THE Department of Health Despite has ordered the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to include ultrasound and mammography in the benefit package for its members.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, chairman of PhilHealth’s board of directors, said the inclusion of the two primary care screening services in the agency’s “Konsulta” benefit package help ensure sustainable financing of preventive health services.
“(If we) can catch cancer and other conditions early, we can unload higher level hospitals within the health care provider network,” he said.
Herbosa’s order is expected to be discussed during the next regular board meeting.
To note, the Konsulta package covers targeted health risk screening and assessment, initial and follow up consultations, selected laboratory tests, and provision of drugs and medicines as needed by patients and as recommend by their primary care physician.
Laboratory and diagnostic examinations under the package include complete blood count with platelet count, urinalysis, fecalysis, sputum microscopy, fecal occult blood, Pap smear, lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, oral glucose tolerance test, electrocardiogram, creatinine, and HbA1c.
