One Hundred percent of private hospitals in Eastern Samar have inked a memorandum of agreement with PhilHealth for the implementation of the No Balance Billing Policy ahead of the implementation of the Universal Health Care Law.
This innovation of PhilHealth 8 Regional Vice President Dr. Leo Douglas Cardona Jr., is a first in the country. The facilities who voluntarily joined the program include the Borongan Doctors Hospital, Oras Doctors Hospital, Domingo Casano Hospital, Ponferrada Polymedic Hospital, Dr. Leon Domingo Memorial Infirmary Clinic, Our Lady of Guadalupe Hospital, Immaculate Concepcion Clinic & Hospital and St. Jude Hospital.
“I endeavoured for the program to push through because it would mean that PhilHealth members, especially the poor will have access to quality health care without having to worry about their hospital bill,” RVP Cardona explained.
Under the No Balance Billing Policy, qualified patients should not be charged fees nor be made to pay for other expenses above and beyond the PhilHealth package rates in ward accommodations. This means that all necessary services, medicines, supplies among others, must be provided to the patients to ensure the best possible health outcomes.
NBB-eligible patients include members of the National Household Targeting System (NHTS), Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of DSWD, senior citizens, retirees and pensioners under the Lifetime Program of PhilHealth and domestic workers or kasambahays.
Previously, No Balance Billing policy was mandatory in government facilities and voluntary on the part of the private facilities. With the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law, the same policy will be implemented in private facilities wherein 10% of their approved bed capacity will be allocated to ward accommodations while government hospitals must allocate 90% of the bed capacity.
However, since the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) is still to be finalized, residents of Eastern Samar would have to wait until the third quarter to avail of this benefit had it not been for this strategy of PhilHealth Regional Office 8.
Aside from the eight (8) facilities in Eastern Samar, St. John Hospital of Catbalogan, Samar; St. Scholatica’s Hospital Inc. of Pambujan, Northern Samar, Leyte Baptist Hospital and Villaflor’s Clinic both of Hilongos, Leyte also joined the NBB initiative for private hospitals in Region 8.
(MIRAMAR P. ZABALA)
