PhilHealth: New benefits to be adjusted amid suspension of premium rate hike

There will be adjustments in the deployment of new benefits scheduled to be implemented this year following the suspension of the increase in premium rates, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. said on Tuesday.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, PhilHealth spokesman Rey Baleña said the suspension of the premium rate hike and the raising of the income ceiling to P90,000 would not affect its operations.

“Wala pong magiging epekto ito sa operations ng PhilHealth. Tuloy tuloy po ang ating operations,” Baleña said.

(It will not affect the operations of PhilHealth. The operations of the agency will continue.)

"Ang mga bagong benepisyo lamang po ang maaring magkaroon ng adjustment deployment pero doon sa mga current benefits natin wala pong magiging pagbabago,” he added.

(Only the new benefits packages will have a possible adjustment in deployment but the current benefits packages will not have any changes.)

On Monday, the Palace announced that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Philhealth to suspend the premium rate increase to 4.5% this year from 4% as well as the adjustment of the income ceiling to P90,000 from P80,000. 

The scheduled increase is in accordance with the Universal Healthcare Law, which mandated hikes in the PhilHealth contribution rate until it reached 5% by 2024.

Among the new benefit packages to be implemented this year include the severe

severe acute malnutrition package as well as the outpatient mental health package, according to the PhilHealth official.

Baleña said the PhilHealth will be reviewing its benefit plan for 2023 in light of the premium rate hike suspension to assess the adjustments on the implementation of some benefit packages. —NB, GMA Integrated News