HATAW! D'yaryo ng Bayan hatawtabloid.com
ni GERRY BALDO
INATASAN ni House Deputy Majority Leader at Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera ang Philippine Health Insurance Corp., (PhilHealth) na ibalik ang ginastos sa swab test ng mga kalipikadong miyembro nito.
Ayon kay Herrera ang mga miyembro ng PhilHealth “who are classified as eligible for testing based on the guidelines issued by the Department of Health (DOH) could avail of the state health insurer’s CoVid-19 testing benefit package worth up to P3,409.”
“There is a PhilHealth circular that allows members who are eligible for testing to file reimbursement claims for CoVid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, but unfortunately the public is not fully aware of this benefit,” ani Herrera.
“I urge all qualified PhilHealth members, who have personally paid for their CoVid-19 tests, to directly file their reimbursement claims with PhilHealth to prevent unscrupulous private hospitals and testing centers from pocketing these funds by claiming the benefit on behalf of PhilHealth members,” dagdag niya.
Nauna nang binanggit ni Herrera na may anomalya din kaugnay sa reimbursement ng PCR tests na binayaran ng mga miyembro.
Aniya, nakatanggap ng reklamo ang opisina niya ng ulat na hiningi ng mga ospital ang identification numbers ng mga miyembro upang ma-reimburse ang ibinayad sa swab test.
“Mismong ipinag-utos ng Pangulo ang paglalaan ng pondo para sa libreng CoVid testing ng mga tao, kung kaya siguradong hindi niya magugustohan sakaling malaman niya ang nangyayari ngayon sa nasabing pondo,” ani Herrera.
Umaasa si Herrera na titingnan ito ng bagong PhilHealth president at CEO na si Dante Gierran.
Anang kongresista, ang panibagong anomalya ay nagbunsod sa kawalan ng kaalaman na may mga sektor na maaaring magpa-CoVid test nang walang bayad.
Ani Herrera, tinukoy ng DOH ang 10 subgroups na dapat unahin sa libreng PCR testing kasama ang mga pasyenteng may malalang sintomas at mild symptoms na may travel history o contact, health care workers, senior citizens at returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Kasama sa lista na dapat magkaroon ng regular at libreng PCR test ay mga workers sa tourist zones, local manufacturing companies, transport at logistics, food retail, education, financial services, non-food retail, services, public market, construction; water supply, sewerage, at waste management; public sector, at mass media.
Giit ni Herrera sa ilalim ng PhilHealth Circular No. 2020-0017, lahat ng “at-risk individuals” na nabanggit sa “DOH guidelines are entitled to CoVid-19 testing benefit package.”
Ayon sa circular, “members may be reimbursed the amount not exceeding the corresponding benefit for CoVid-19 test if such benefit was not availed of or was not deducted from the actual charges, provided the requirements are complied with.”
