PhilHealth Antique Enrolls 595,291 Members

Philippine Health Insurance Corp.-Antique Office has enrolled 595,291 members, which is equivalent to 107 per cent of the 2016 projected population, as of Jan. 31 this year already.

Junie C. Sabusap, head of the PhilHealth Antique, said that because of the high awareness of the people already about the importance of the health insurance, the informal sector or those voluntarily paying their premiums increased to 25,663 members with 39,498 dependents or an equivalent to 11 percent.

The formal economy also have 40,123 members with 72,879 dependents or 19 percent of the 2016 projected population.

But still the indigents, or those members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and those covered by the National Household Targeting System of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), contribute the biggest membership with 137,170 of them with 275,760 dependents or 69 percent of the total figure.

Also the senior citizens, or those 60 years old and above covered by the health insurance since 2014, also rose to 32,532 with 5,624 dependents, which is equivalent to six percent.

The lifetime members of PhilHealth in the province are 5,117 with 437 dependents or equivalent to one percent only.

Sabusab further said that they were still waiting for the local government units (LGUs) to renew the coverage of their sponsored members, which have been given deadline until the end of March this year. He said that once the LGUs renew the coverage of their sponsored members their figure of 107 percent could still rise.

As for the benefit payments, the PhilHealth Antique as of January 2016 has already paid an amount of Php34,241,258 for the 3,169 claims of the different membership sector.

Sabusab then described the senior citizens as the “heart of PhilHealth” because of the Php8,693,370 amount the PhilHealth has paid for their claims though this also includesd that for the lifetime members.

Common diseases affecting elderly and covered by PhilHealth are pneumonia with Php15,000 coverage for low risk and Php32,000 for high risk. Cataract extraction is also covered with Php16,000 per eye.(PNA) RMA/AJPETINGLAY/LPT