Proposal To Include Dengue Vaccine In PhilHealth Package Of Benefit Under Review

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is reviewing and weighing the proposal to include the newly available dengue vaccine in the package of benefits the agency is currently providing to its members.

According to PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Atty. Alexander Padilla, they are currently reviewing the agency’s package of benefits to ensure that the funds that would be spent for making the vaccine an additional benefit would really reach the target and create higher impact.

“We are undertaking some discussions on that,” Padilla said.

Earlier, DOH Secretary Janette L. Garin noted that considering the high cost of the dengue vaccine, it is unlikely that PhilHealth will be able to provide and make it sustainable.

PhilHealth is an attached agency of the DOH.

The market price of the recently-launched dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, along with the number of doses it requires, is expected to make it financially difficult for PhilHealth to cover.

“One dose, let’s say, costs P4,500 or P5,000. But we need three doses, which would mean P12,000 to P15,000 (the estimated total price for one member only),” Secretary Garin said in a press briefing last week.

If there are three PhilHelth members or more in a family who are in the age groups 9-45 years old, covering them will mean higher costs because they are considered as dependents of the principal member.

A principal member’s annual contribution to PhilHealth is P2,400.

PhilHealth Director for Monetary Board Dr. Anthony Leachon said that they will be conducting a meeting to discuss some aspects such as cost-effectiveness and selection criteria.

“There is a need to have a selection criteria,” Dr. Leachon said.

He also said that they want as much as possible to focus on high volume diseases with high impact to the nation.

“And I’m sure one of them is dengue fever,” he added.

Dr. Leachon said they will also be reviewing other PhilHealth benefit packages, including TSeKaP or Tamang Serbisyo Para sa Kalusugan ng Pamilya.

He said it is important to create an arm to prevent patients from losing productivity due to poor health and help uplift the workforce of the country wherein the focus is more on preventive aspects.

He said that if the approach will always be on the curative side and not preventive, for example on package in dialysis, the government can turn into a “hunchback” for providing package of benefits in the vulnerable sectors.

Dr. Karen Villanueva, PhilHealth Director in the Committee on Finance, said that having a selection criteria will help in identifying effectively the target members/dependents.

“There are many factors that come into play also,” Dr. Villanueva said, adding that it is important that PhilHealth will be able to supplement what the DOH can extend to avoid duplication.

Dengue vaccine Dengvaxia was launched earlier this month.

The government, through the DOH, will be providing free dengue vaccination in March to grade 4 public school children who are nine years old in three regions with high incidence of dengue disease.

These regions are the National Capital Region (NCR), Regions 3 (Central Luzon) and 4-A (Calabarzon representing the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon). (PNA) SCS/LSJ