President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the official launch of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth)’s new and expanded benefit package for post-kidney transplantation services, marking a significant stride in the nation’s commitment to universal healthcare. The comprehensive initiative, developed in direct response to President Marcos’ directive to prioritize healthcare, aims to alleviate the financial burden on patients and their families, enhance long-term health outcomes, and promote equitable access to quality medical care, aligning seamlessly with the objectives of the Universal Health Care law.
During his visit to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City, President Marcos underscored the critical need for improved lifestyle and diet among Filipinos to reduce the alarming incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). “Until we improve the situation of our children’s diet, we recognize the needs of our sick countrymen so that all their requirements will be met by our PhilHealth and our facilities like the NKTI,” President Marcos stated, after engaging with patients in the Hemodialysis Center and post-kidney transplant wards.
The newly introduced PhilHealth benefit package for post-kidney transplantation covers both adult and pediatric patients diagnosed with stage 5 chronic kidney disease. It comprehensively includes vital components such as immunosuppressive medications, drug prophylaxis to prevent infections, drug level monitoring, essential laboratory tests, diagnostic tests, renal graft biopsy, and crucial monitoring services for living kidney donors.
Key provisions of the new benefit package include:
- For Pediatric Patients:
- Immunosuppressive medications: PhP73,065 per month for the first year, and PhP41,150 per month for succeeding years.
- Drug prophylaxis (antibiotics): PhP45,570 per month.
- Laboratory services: PhP37,585 every three months for the first year, and PhP14,078 every three months for succeeding years.
- For Adult Patients (19 years old and above):
- Immunosuppressive medications: PhP40,725 per month.
- Drug prophylaxis: PhP18,932 for six months of treatment.
- Laboratory services: PhP11,242 every three months for the first year, and PhP8,125 every three months for succeeding years.
- For Living Kidney Donors:
- PhP1,900 worth of laboratory and monitoring services every six months.
This initiative builds upon recent significant enhancements made by PhilHealth at the start of the year for members with CKD Stage 5. These improvements include an expansion of hemodialysis sessions from 90 to 156 annually, an increase in coverage for the Z Benefit Package for peritoneal dialysis up to PhP1.2 million, and a substantial boost to the Z Benefit coverage for kidney transplantation, rising from PhP600,000 to PhP2 million.
Chronic kidney disease remains a pressing global health issue, with the NKTI reporting that one Filipino develops chronic kidney failure every hour, leading to approximately 120 new cases per million population annually. PhilHealth’s enhanced benefits underscore the government’s proactive approach to addressing this public health challenge and ensuring sustained support for patients throughout their treatment journey.
