PhilHealth reaffirmed its commitment to supporting people living with HIV (PLHIV) by providing increased financial access to essential healthcare through its comprehensive outpatient HIV/AIDS treatment coverage.
The enhanced Outpatient HIV Treatment (OHAT) Package now provides P58,500 in annual benefit, a 95% increase from the previous P30,000. The package includes antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all individuals with confirmed positive HIV test results confirmed by certified institutions, regardless of their clinical or immunologic status. It also ensures access to all minimum essential services necessary for effective HIV management.
This enhancement is aligned with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directive to continually improve and sustain health insurer’s healthcare benefits by ensuring adequate financial support to patients seeking medical treatment. In his second State of the Nation Address, the President emphasized that “The whole of society must exert efforts to suppress the alarming rise of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. To stem the tide, the strategic plan is to ensure early diagnosis and treatment, and ample testing sites and medications.”
The OHAT Package can be accessed through any of the 234 PhilHealth-accredited DOH-designated HIV Treatment facilities nationwide. With this improved OHAT Package, PhilHealth not only hopes to support PLHIV members to seek appropriate management but also to reassure and encourage other PhilHealth members to sign up for regular testing.
The state-insurer also emphasized that a separate package for TB-DOTS may be reimbursed at accredited TB-DOTS facilities. Members may avail of both the OHAT and TB-DOTS packages simultaneously.
In 2024, PhilHealth disbursed a total of P1.66 billion for 176,819 Outpatient HIV/AIDS Package benefit claims.
For further inquiries on benefits and services, members may call PhilHealth’s 24/7 hotline at (02) 866-225-88 or at mobile numbers (Smart) 0998-857-2957, 0968-865-4670, (Globe) 0917-1275987 or 0917-1109812.
