Patients will no longer be able to avail themselves of unlimited dialysis treatments through the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation after Sept. 15, when the six-month declaration of the state of calamity due to the COVID-19 pandemic is lifted, the state insurance firm said.
A PhilHealth circular said that while the country is under a state of calamity, the limit of 90 dialysis sessions will not be in effect.
If patients have used up their free dialysis sessions during the period, PhilHealth is obliged to pay for the additional sessions.
“If patients have exhausted their cap of 45 or 90 days, they can still avail themselves of the benefit if they need it while we are still in the pandemic,” PhilHealth spokesman Rey Baleña said.
But he said PhilHealth was studying the possibility of extending the availability of “unlimited” dialysis treatment for its members after Sept. 15.
He says PhilHealth is studying how it can extend the privilege beyond 90 dialysis sessions.
“We are studying how the privilege can be extended because this policy depended on the declaration of a state of calamity,” Baleña said.
“We are discussing it, and we will see.”
On March 17, President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire Philippines under a state of calamity to allow the government to tap more funds to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The dialysis sessions taken while the country is under a state of calamity will also not be counted for next year, PhilHealth says.
The insurer says the patients who paid for their sessions during the state of calamity may get reimbursements from PhilHealth offices as long as they have the receipts.
As the free dialysis sessions will last only until Sept. 15, patients and their families have appealed for the sessions to continue after the state of calamity is lifted.