PhilHealth 8 reorients Samar Provincial Hospital staff

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
October 2, 2010

TACLOBAN CITY  –  The Philippine Health Insurance, Inc. (PhilHealth) in Region 8 is set to conduct a reorientation seminar for the personnel of the Samar Provincial Hospital on how the PhilHealth benefits and the reimbursements work.

This was disclosed by Mr. Renato Limsiaco, Jr, division chief of PhilHealth 8 during the Harampang Ha PIA held at Gerry’s Grill, Tacloban on September 30.

Mr. Limsiaco made the statement in answer to a media report that the PhilHealth members in Samar have been complaining that their PhilHealth cards are not being recognized at the Samar Provincial Hospital.

He said that there was a meeting of Philhealth and the representative of the provincial government and the hospital already met to thresh out the problem. The agreement was that the PhilHealth will reorient the hospital personal about PhilHealth.

Mr. Limsiaco also disclosed that Samar province has the lowest percentage of PhilHealth coverage in the Region. He noted that when Governor Sharee Ann Tan-delos Santos learned about this, she allotted P20.5 Million for the poorest of the poor in Samar. This will make Samar at par with the other provinces of the Region, in terms of PhilHealth coverage, Mr. Limsiaco said.

With regards to the reimbursements or claims of members on the medicines they buy outside the hospital when they are confined, Mr. Limsiaco said that the members must file their claim within 60 days after their release from the hospital.

The checks are sent to the claimant members through the post office. PhilHealth does not require the claimants to come to the PhilHealth Regional Office, Mr. Limsiaco said.

However, there have been instances when the claimants call the PhilHealth Office requesting that the check not be mailed because they will personally get the same at the Regional Office.