PhilHealth Increases Dialysis Benefit to PHP 4,000, Patients Express Relief

MANILA – Patients receiving dialysis treatments have expressed appreciation following the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth) decision to increase the dialysis benefit from PHP 2,600 to PHP 4,000, a move aligned with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s pro-poor policy initiatives.

According to Philippines News Agency, this decision was made after House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez advocated for the increase to help patients manage the financial demands of chronic kidney disease (CKD) treatments. Romualdez highlighted that this adjustment would significantly aid patients in defraying costly CKD treatment expenses.

Patients like Gerwin Acepcion Castor, who undergo hemodialysis, voiced that the increased benefit offers substantial financial relief, ensuring they no longer have to pay during their treatment sessions. Del Rosario, a 17-year-old patient, and Norman Gajo, who relies on a pension, echoed similar sentiments, stressing how the increase helps manage the financial burden associated with their ongoing medical care.

Aldrin Aguilar, another beneficiary of the scheme, pointed out that for patients without a steady income, the new benefit level means they can receive necessary treatments without worrying about the additional costs, even in private healthcare facilities.

The increase in benefits not only supports President Marcos’s commitment under the Universal Health Care Law to provide free healthcare to the poor but also aligns with ongoing legislative efforts to expand free health services, including laboratory tests and mammograms, as articulated by Romualdez.