PCSO ordered to transfer P420.6M to PhilHealth

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) ordered the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to transfer funds to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to augment resources for COVID-19 packages for its members.

In its Resolution No. 15 dated March 24, the IATF directed the PCSO to transfer P420,585,000.00 to PhilHealth.

“The said amount shall be utilized to cover COVID-19-related packages of PhilHealth,” according to the IATF resolution.

The PhilHealth earlier released Circular No 2020-0004 or Enhancement of Packages related to COVID-19 infection.

The following are the state health insurance agency’s packages for COVID-19:

• Isolation package: amounting to P14,000 for patients under investigation. It can also be claimed by confirmed cases with mild symptoms and PUIs who tested negative for COVID-19.
   
• Referral package: amounting to P4,000 for patients from Level 1 or lower level hospitals referred to higher level hospitals with capacity for quarantine procedures.
   
• Moderate pneumonia: amounting to P15,000 for those experiencing moderate pneumonia.
   
• Severe pneumonia: amounting to P32,000 for those experiencing severe pneumonia.

On top of quarantine and isolation costs, PhilHealth will also cover the cost for COVID-19 tests. —LDF, GMA News