More beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya are now reaping the benefits of the partnership between the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
In 2012, the DSWD and PhilHealth partnered to provide health care for the poor. To date, more than 4.4 million Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries are covered by PhilHealth as Sponsored Members.
DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said that this partnership has strengthened the government’s commitment to bridge poor families to medical and health services, further improving their living conditions.
“I am happy that more families are now seeking medical help for their illnesses. Before, they were discouraged from seeking medical help for fear of the high cost of hospitalization. Their membership to Philhealth has given them the courage to face their health challenges,” Sec. Soliman said.
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a human development program that invests in the health and education of poor families, primarily those with children aged 0-18. It provides cash grants to partner-beneficiaries who comply with the conditions of sending their children to school, bringing them to health centers for checkups, and attending the monthly Family Development Sessions (FDS).
As Sponsored Members, they are entitled to full benefits including the case rate payments for 23 medical and surgical cases wherein they no longer need to pay in excess of the PhilHealth set benefits in government facilities.
They can also avail of the ‘Z’ benefit package for catastrophic illnesses such as childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia, breast and prostate cancer, and kidney transplant, with financial coverage of P210,000, P100,000 (each), and P600,000 respectively. This package is available in all PhilHealth accredited hospitals nationwide.
Beneficiaries also enjoy primary care benefits such as consultations, regular blood pressure monitoring, promotive health education on breastfeeding, and counseling on lifestyle modification and smoking cessation. Medicines for diseases like asthma and acute gastroenteritis (with mild or no dehydration), upper respiratory tract infection/pneumonia, and urinary tract infection are also provided by accredited healthcare providers.
To avail of health care benefits, the beneficiaries will just have to present their household ID numbers at accredited hospitals in the country.
Merilyn Buhisan, 55, a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary from Brgy. Commonwealth, Quezon City is just one of the more than 4.4 million household-beneficiaries covered by this partnership.
“Noong Abril 2014 ay nagkasakit ang aking asawa dahil sa komplikasyon sa kidney, wala kaming perang pampagamot, at maraming kailangan bilhin para sa pag-aaral ng mga anak ko. Noong na-confine siya sa Kidney Center, tinanong ako sa information desk kung may PhilHealth daw ba ako, ang sagot ko ay meron dahil Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary ako (My husband fell ill last April 2014 due to kidney complications. We had no money to buy his medicines, aside from numerous school expenses of our children. When I was asked whether I was covered by Philhealth, I told them that I was because I am a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary),” Merilyn narrated.
Although her husband died last December 2014, Merlyn recalled how being a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary helped their family during the time her husband was undergoing treatment.
“Ang bill namin sa ospital noon ay umabot sa P85,000 at sa kabutihang palad, dahil kasama sa aming pagiging benepisyaryo ng Pantawid Pamilya ang maging miyembro din ng PhilHealth, lahat ng bill namin ay sinagot ng PhilHealth (Our hospital bill reached P85,000 but since we are covered by Philhealth as Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries, we did not pay a single cent),” Merilyn said.
“Sa ngayon, ramdam ko na nabigyan na talaga ng pansin ang mahihirap. Kasi dati para sa akin, ang pagpapagamot sa ospital at pagpapacheck up ay para lamang sa mayayaman, mali pala (Today, I feel that poor families are truly given attention. Before I thought that seeking treatment in hospitals and going for regular health check-ups are just for the rich. I was wrong),” Merlyn emphasized.