PhilHealth expands benefits for heart disease patients

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has expanded its coverage for heart disease treatments, increasing financial assistance for life-saving procedures such as fibrinolysis and angioplasty.

In a radio interview on Thursday, Feb. 13, PhilHealth spokesperson Dr. Francis “Ish” Pargas said the state health insurer enhanced its financial support for heart disease treatments, particularly for those suffering from acute myocardial infarction or heart attack.

Pargas said PhilHealth’s benefit for fibrinolysis—an emergency treatment to dissolve blood clots—was increased from P12,000 to P123,000.

Meanwhile, he stated that coverage for angioplasty, a procedure that clears blocked arteries, has been raised from P30,000 to P523,000.

“Kung halimbawa magawa itong mga ito at kailangan din natin ng cardiac rehabilitation… binabayaran din natin yan sa halagang around P66,000 (If these procedures are done and cardiac rehabilitation is needed, PhilHealth will cover around P66,000),” he added.

For heart attack patients requiring emergency transfers to better-equipped hospitals, he said that PhilHealth will now cover ambulance costs amounting to P22,000.

Congenital heart disease coverage

Aside from treating heart disease in adults, Pargas said PhilHealth’s Z-Benefit Package also includes financial support for children with congenital heart conditions.

“Actually, halimbawa kalimitan sa congenital heart disease sa mga bata sa puso, ‘yung may tinatawag na butas sa puso, di ba? Or ‘yung may narinig na ingay sa puso (For example, congenital heart disease in children, like a hole in the heart or a heart murmur),” he said.

The PhilHealth spokesperson explained that conditions such as ventricular septal defect (VSD), tetralogy of Fallot (blue baby syndrome), and rheumatic fever are covered under the Z-Benefit Package.

“Iyon pong Z-benefit packages, ito po ay special benefit package natin na kung saan, simula po sa simula ng gamutan hanggang sa kayo ay gumaling ay kasama po doon (The Z-Benefit Package is a special benefit that covers the entire treatment process, from diagnosis to recovery),” he said.

Pargas assured the public that PhilHealth members and their dependents are immediately eligible for these benefits under the Universal Healthcare (UHC) Act.

Preventing heart disease

The PhilHealth spokesperson emphasized the importance of lifestyle changes in preventing heart disease, which remains a leading cause of death in the Philippines.

“Ang heart disease po is a lifestyle disease. Mostly lifestyle disease,” he said.

To lower the risk, Pargas advised Filipinos to adopt healthier habits.

“So kaya talagang ang isa para maiwasan natin ang pagkakaroon ng tinatawag na heart diseases would be change in the lifestyle (One way to prevent heart disease is by making lifestyle changes),” he stated.

He stressed the need for a balanced diet, regular exercise, and avoiding harmful substances.

“Una, siyempre dapat balanced ang diet natin and exercise. And of course, hindi po tayo tumitikim or nagkakaroon ng pagkakataon na gumagamit nung mga paninigarilyo or paggamit po ng mga masasamang gamot na makakasama sa ating kalusugan (First, of course, we need a balanced diet and exercise. And of course, we should not be smoking or using harmful substances that can damage our health),” he added.