By Vicky Berdina M. de Guzman
The Philippine Health Corporation (PHIC) has bared its newest benefit package to its members.
The Z benefit package is offered at the lowest rate at the Davao Regional Hospital (DRH).
According to Karen Pilar, RN, transplant coordinator, the DRH has the cheapest kidney transplant cost compared to other hospitals where it would cost P700,000 to P1.2 million while DRH offers it for only P400,000. This was the rate even before the Z benefit package.
With the new Z benefit, the cash out of the patients or out of pocket would be even lesser, said Pilar, adding that sponsored members of PHIC would have no “balance billing”.
There are 18 hospitals contracted by PHIC nationwide to offer the Z benefit package and three are in Mindanao, one of them being the DRH.
Illnesses covered by the Z benefit package are Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer and Kidney Transplant.
Dr. Rodel Flores, the chief medical training officer, said the new program brought by PHIC is called the Philhealth Z benefits package. He said the four chronic diseases covered in this package are considered the most common illnesses that patients cannot sustain because they can drain people’s funds.
The Z package in coordination with the three agencies Department of Health (DOH), PHIC and DRH, offers this to patients undergoing the illnesses named.
Dr. Flores also said that compliance of the patients in the treatment of their sicknesses is very low, especially that most of the patients are in an average status.
According to him, this package covers the work up (check up), operation and therapy.
He said that the most common among the four cases is breast cancer because women have late detection due to their financial problems.
The program is dubbed “Bag-ong Pag-asa para sa Masa.” Breast cancer operation could cost as much as P100,000 while if you are a PHIC member, the operation would be free plus the six sessions of chemotherapy.”
The other three illnesses also have the same coverage in the package.
Dr. Bryan Dalid from Cancer Center for Mindanao said Z benefits would cover all members with the mentioned illnesses nationwide as long as the institution or the hospital is accredited with the PHIC.
He added that “the requirement for this would be the usual requirement of PHIC, like for surgical case, like breast cancer, you should have a minimum of nine months of payment to PHIC in one year, and must be updated.”
From the official publication of DRH, the Infocus, it was stated that the PHIC unveiled on July2, 2012 the Z benefit package led by President Noynoy Aquino III and Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona. Z benefit is a benefit for any catastrophic illness that requires prolonged hospitalization. The package also covers necessary services that include payment for room and board, drugs and medicines, laboratory, operating room, and professional fees and mandatory services for the entire course of treatment.
