PhilHealth clarifies 24-hour confinement rule, says patient would have gotten P73k for P2M surgery

Courtesy of DZMM TeleRadyo PhilHealth Senior VP Israel Pargas explained Monday the insurer’s 24-hour confinement rule after a deceased PhilHealth member got zero benefits from the state health insurer because he was confined for less than 24 hours. Pargas said there are other packages for members who died in hospital in less than 24 hours. “Kung halimbawa mamatay in less than 24 hours, meron din tayo in less than two days or after, meron mga pakete na naka-assign. Siguro hindi lamang gaano napansin o nakita o hindi ganoon na-familiarize ang mga ospital o ang ospital kung kaya hindi nila nabigyan ng benepisyo,” he said in a DZMM interview. Other benefits that could have been availed by the PhilHealth include a resuscitation package if the patient is revived. According to a viral post by Maria Lourdes Sulit, her husband died because they could not afford a lifesaving operation to remove a brain hematoma. She said the operation would have cost P2 million to P4 million. She said she was shocked after finding out that her husband was not eligible for PhilHealth benefits because he was confined for less than 24 hours. Sulit's hospital bill reached P200,000 in less than 24 hours. "I was only asking for the benefits that my husband spent more than 25 years contributing to. He was a lifelong member. He paid faithfully throughout his working years...What is the purpose of #PhilHealth if the people who have contributed for decades cannot access the benefits when they need them most?" she asked. She added: "To all #PhilHealth members, I sincerely hope you never experience what our family went through. But if you do, be aware that according to this policy, dying within 24 hours of confinement may leave you without the benefits you spent years paying for." Pargas said that if the surgery had pushed through, the member would have gotten P73,000 to P108,000. "Ito sa operasyon lang, around P73,000 to P108,000. Tapos meron din siyang proposal ngayon na pinag-aaralan namin sa increase sa amount at 'yan galing sa Society of Neurosurgeons," he said. PhilHealth also offers a transfer package for members who need to be transferred to a different medical facility. Pargas said PhilHealth cannot shoulder the P200,000 bill of Sulit's husband, noting that stroke patients diagnosed with an infarction are given P76,000 while those with hemorrhagic stroke are given P80,000. For more DZMM TeleRadyo videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmiYp8vD3VzaFjVYls_WK6J7 For more ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmgy6PGn5--qRRixkhltg5hE For more latest news and analysis from ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmjA30dKUQCDlG7vy38QQk-Y For more News Digital News Raw Cuts, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmiOw9mcoSbzoyp25AAZAAdn Subscribe to the ABS-CBN News channel! - http://bit.ly/TheABSCBNNews Watch full episodes on iWantTFC for FREE here: http://iwanttfc.com Visit our website at http://news.abs-cbn.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abscbnNEWS Twitter: https://twitter.com/abscbnnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abscbnnews #PhilHealth #DZMMTeleRadyo #ABSCBNNews