PhilHealth cards for Sogod folk

CEBU, Philippines - More than 400 PhilHealth identification cards will be distributed to sponsored members in Sogod tomorrow.

The Sogod municipal government, through Mayor Lissa Marie Durano, recently enrolled 439 poor constituents as principal members under PhilHealth’s Sponsored Program.

 The health insurance is good for this year and covers qualified dependents; that is, unmarried and not gainfully employed children below 21 years old, legal spouse and parents 60 years old or older who are not PhilHealth members, and even children 21 years old or older who are suffering from an acquired or congenital illness which renders them completely dependent on the parent-member for support.

Durano expressed interest in enrolling more poor families under the program in the coming years. The mayor is keen on investing in the improvement of Sogod rural health unit (RHU), which is presently accredited by PhilHealth as service provider of its outpatient primary consultation and diagnostic package exclusively for sponsored members.

The outpatient package includes primary consultation services, chest X-ray, urinalysis, fecalysis, sputum microscopy, complete blood count, visual acetic acid screening for cervical cancer, breast exam, blood pressure monitoring, annual rectal exam, body measurement, and counseling for smoking cessation and lifestyle modification.

 The mayor also hopes to expand the capability of Sogod RHU to include services as lying-in clinic. In which case, members undergoing normal spontaneous deliveries in the RHU will soon enjoy PhilHealth’s maternity care package amounting to P6,500.

 As such, the RHU is guaranteed reimbursement of at least P5,000 for delivery and postpartum care, and the member is entitled to P1,500 worth of prenatal care services.