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- She also asked if this is the reason behind COVID-positive Filipinos sometimes escaping the hospitals.
- PhilHeath has announced that they will shoulder the expenses for COVID-19 patients.
With the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) wreaking havoc in the country, the standard practice for a Person Under Investigation (PUI) who during self-quarantine is confirmed positive, then he/she must be confined at the hospital or a medical facility for treatment and isolation.
However, a hospital stay can be expensive, especially since dealing with the virus could take several days, possibly weeks.
Chai Fonacier asked on Twitter if that was possibly the reason behind people hiding their COVID-positive status and escaping the hospitals.
“Yung mga confirmed cases na kailangang magpaospital ay sila lang pa rin ang magbabayad? Is this why may mga taong ayaw sumama kapag pinupuntahan sil after malaman na confirmed sila?”
https://twitter.com/bansheerabidcat/status/1243186146844106752
Some of her followers replied that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) recently said they promised to cover all costs for COVID-19 patients.
PhilHealth President Ricardo Morales assured that the state insurance agency will shoulder all medical expenses, particularly health workers who have higher risk exposure to the disease.
“Lahat ng tatamaan ng COVID-19, wala sila dapat ilabas na pera, whether public or private hospital. Sasagutin ng PhilHealth. Whatever it takes, sasagutin ng PhilHealth,” he said in a televised briefing.
But one can’t blame people being skeptical as there have been allegations against hospitals that they might be overcharging and taking advantage of PUIs amid the pandemic.
A photo has gone viral online showing a bill of Php90,223.63 for a PUI who was only admitted for five days.
https://twitter.com/pukindness/status/1240172271789953026
So what does PhilHealth’s insurance coverage for COVID-19 include?
The Isolation Package has Php14,000 for those placed under observation for suspected cases and the Referral Package has an allocation of Php4,000 for patients referred from Level 1 hospitals to Level 2 or 3 hospitals capable of managing infectious diseases.
