One of the private health facilities accredited with PhilHealth’s KonSulTa service. MindaNews photo by BONG S. SARMIENTO
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 27 October) – The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has released some P53 million to South Cotabato province as initial “frontload capitation fund” for the implementation of the flagship Konsulta program.
The release of the funding on Thursday came after the province was named last June as among the seven pilot areas or sandbox sites in the country, and the only one in Mindanao, to form a primary care provider network for the rollout of the Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama or Konsulta primary care benefit package.
Emmanuel Ledesma Jr., PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer, said the initiative is aimed to facilitate the efficient implementation and expand the program’s coverage in the area.
He said the first tranche of the capitation fund will be utilized to empower and capacitate healthcare providers to deliver essential medical services, reach out to unserved communities and marginalized sectors, and bring the Universal Health Care (UHC) closer to full coverage.
“This is not just a financial transaction, it is an investment in the overall well-being of the Filipinos,” he said during the turnover ceremony at the provincial capitol in Koronadal City.
Ledesma said they will continue to strengthen their collaboration with the province’s primary care provider network (PCPN), specifically in refining its process “and making sure that the benefits of this partnership are felt by every member of the community.”
PCPN refers to a coordinated group of public, private or mixed primary care providers that form the core of primary to tertiary care providers of the Konsulta program.
The Konsulta primary care benefit package covers patient consultations, laboratory and diagnostic tests, and 21 common medications that can be prescribed according to medical needs.
Philhealth releases annual capitation funds in tranches to accredited Konsulta providers based on the number of registered members and their performance at a per capita rate of P500 in public facilities, and P750 in private providers for every patient.
“This is a testament to our collective commitment to improve the lives of our fellow kababayans…We will closely monitor the impact of our contributions to ensure the best outcomes… To our beneficiaries, I want you to feel that PhilHealth is truly committed to support you and your families,” Ledesma said in a statement from PhilHealth Region XII.
South Cotabato second district Rep. Peter Miguel expressed full support to the program and the selection of the province as one its pilot sites.
“I am glad that we are a part of this. I pray that South Cotabato can provide the best example and be the best model for this,” he said.
South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. said the province’s primary healthcare system and service delivery will greatly benefit from the program.
He said the provincial government will complement the move by working on having a “100 percent electronic medical record” for every resident in the province by 2024. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)
