PhilHealth to cover dental care services

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth)  Board of Directors en banc has approved the inclusion of dental services in their healthcare benefit packages.

Among the services included in the landmark package are mouth examination/oral screening, dental prophylaxis or cleaning, and fluoride varnish application.

Also covered by PhilHealth are fissure sealants, Class V procedures, emergency tooth extractions, and dental consultations.

“Universal health care must have oral health care, and the best way to make it sustainable and felt by all Filipinos is through primary care,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said.

“The Board agreed on a preventive oral health benefit to be delivered by dentists working in PhilHealth Konsulta package providers, and also by stand-alone dentists based on referrals from the Konsulta providers,” Herbosa said.

Under the health package, the PhilHealth Board approved a maximum payment of P1,000 per patient per year for preventive oral health services, to be paid as follows: P300 for the first visit, covering mouth examination/oral screening, oral prophylaxis (cleaning), and fluoride varnish application; another P300 for a second visit at least four months apart from the first visit, for the same services; and P200 per tooth (maximum of two teeth per year) for pit and fissure sealant or a Class V procedure.

Co-payments will be prohibited for public dentists, while private dentists will be allowed maximum co-payment charges per visit of P1,500 for mouth examination and oral prophylaxis; P600 for pit and fissure sealant or Class V procedure; and P600 for emergency tooth extraction.

--VAL, GMA Integrated News