PhilHealth reports lack of service providers for Konsulta Package

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is urging service providers to enroll with its Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama (Konsulta) Package, which seeks to boost access to primary care services.

According to PhilHealth spokesperson Shirley Domingo, there are only 1,267 providers across the nation enrolled in the program and these are not enough to cater to PhilHealth members.

“Kulang pa po ‘yun to service the whole population,” she said during a public briefing on Wednesday.

“Tuloy tuloy po ang ating paghikayat sa ating mga providers na mag-accredit na sila para dito sa Konsulta Package na ito,” she added.

[This is insufficient to service the whole population. We continuously urge our providers to have themselves accredited in the Konsulta Package.]

PhilHealth earlier said the application for Konsulta accreditation is open to non-hospital facilities such as rural health units, ambulatory surgical clinics, and infirmaries.

It also urged all accredited Level 1, 2, and 3, public and private hospitals to be accredited for the program.

Those interested can submit their application and self-assessment tools to the Local Health Insurance Office closest to them.

To be qualified, they must be compliant with the mandatory standards. Minimum requirements in terms of service include the conduct of preventive/screening service and health education, provision of required laboratory and radiologic services, and the dispensing of drugs and medicines.

PhilHealth is mandated to administer the National Health Insurance Program which aims to provide health insurance coverage and ensure affordable, acceptable, available, and accessible health care services for all Filipinos.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2019 signed the Universal Health Care Act, making all Filipino citizens automatically enrolled into the National Health Insurance Program.

Under PhilHealth Circular 2020-0022, the Konsulta Package covers individual-based health services including initial and follow-up primary care consultations, health screening and assessment, and access to selected diagnostic services and medicines.

To avail of the program, Domingo said PhilHealth members will first have to register through the member portal in its website or assisted registration through current employers, social workers, or providers, among others.

The PhilHealth Circular indicates that providers will serve as the initial point of contact, performing navigation and referral functions, along with health screening and assessment according to life stage and health risks of individuals.—LDF, GMA News