PhilHealth sends P22.8M to PGH for heart attack claims

INDIGENTS’ HOSPITAL The Philippine General Hospital is the hospital of choice for poor patients who cannot afford to go to private hospitals for treatment. —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has sent P22.8 million to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) for patients who have availed of the state-run insurer’s increased benefits packages for heart attacks.

In a statement on Monday, PhilHealth said the P22.8-million payouts were handed to PGH last April 11, as 77 patients availed of the benefit package for Ischemic Heart Disease-Acute Myocardial Infarction (IHD-AMI) or heart attack.

According to PGH Medical Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi, this is what they wanted to see — an improved PhilHealth service so that heart attack patients and their relatives would not be helpless.

“With the chance given to us to provide an improved service to heart attack patients, we have attained a record-high service. We no longer have charity cases for heart attack patients,” said Legazpi, who was with PhilHealth acting President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Edwin Mercado during the ceremonial turnover at the PGH.

“That’s the improvement that we want to see. And I think with this current administration of PhilHealth, we will be seeing more of that,” he added.

At the ceremony, the wife of a patient who availed of an angiogram also attested to the relief that PhilHealth’s increased benefit packages have brought to the public.

“At first, we were hesitant because we [had] heard how expensive angiograms can be, but one of the doctors told us that there is a PhilHealth package where we would not pay anything. Of course, we were happy,” said Juvy Busayong, wife of patient Jose Busayong.

“It is a huge privilege for us to receive this package. We want to thank PhilHealth for the package given to us. I hope you can help more people, and more lives could be saved,” she added.

Last February, PhilHealth announced improved coverage for open heart surgeries — now at almost P1 million — while launching a new benefit package for heart valve repair and replacement surgeries worth up to P810,000.

PhilHealth said there is a need to increase the coverage for cardiovascular diseases as these impose a heavy financial burden on patients and their families.

Heart ailments remain the top cause of death among Filipinos, with the World Health Organization data showing that an average of 118,740 Filipinos die every year due to heart diseases.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported in 2023 that a total of 129,300 Filipinos died due to ischemic heart disease.

According to PhilHealth, their IHD-AMI benefit package offers coverage up to P523,853, which can be availed at all accredited Levels 1 to 3 public and private health facilities.

Mercado assured Filipinos that PhilHealth would continue to push to bring life-saving health services closer to Filipinos by ensuring prompt claims reimbursements to hospitals.

“This P22.8-million payout to the PGH is just the start. We will be moving to different regions so that we can personally ensure a quick processing and payment of claims for the services we have offered to our hospitals, particularly to patients with heart ailments,” he added.