Ormoc gets P5.6M from PhilHealth

Mayor Edward C. Codilla accepts a cheque from PhilHealth’s chief social insurance officer Misael F. Paigan. Others in photo are (from left) PhilHealth accounts officer Dominic A. Degorio, Medical Officer Lourdes Lampong and OIC City Treasurer Delia Vilbar. (Photo by Joseph Levi Sausa)

PHILIPPINE Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) turned over to the local government unit (LGU) of Ormoc a check of P5,626,125 representing benefit under the Per Family Payment Rate (PFPR) for the provision of the Primary Care Benefit 1 (PCB 1) package to enrolled indigent members covering the 3^rd and 4^th quarters of 2014 of the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction.

PCB is an additional benefit over and above the hospitalization package for members of PhilHealth’s sponsored program. It is offered at no added premium cost and will augment the LGU’s health budget. The PCB1 guidelines provide that the PFPR may only be utilized for the following purposes:

1.   Eighty percent for operational cost covering:

a)   Minimum of 40% for medicines for asthma, acute gastroenteritis and pneumonia;

b)  Maximum of 40% for reagents, medical supplies, equipment (i.e. ambulance, ambu bag, stretcher, etc.), information technology equipment specific for facility use needed to facilitate reporting and database buildup, capacity building for staff, infrastructure or any other related use necessary for the delivery of required service including referral fees for diagnostic services if not able in the facility.

2.  The remaining 20% shall be utilized exclusively as honoraria of the health facility staff and improvement of their capabilities to be able to provide better health services:

a)   Ten percent for the physician;

b)   Five percent for other health professional staff of the facility;

c)   Five percent non-health professional/staff, including volunteers.