The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) continues to strengthen its commitment to Filipino healthcare by disbursing over P592 million of total claims paid to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) for the first five months of the year (January 1 to May 21, 2025).
This was disclosed by Acting PhilHealth President and CEO Dr. Edwin M. Mercado during his brief visit to the NKTI on Wednesday to personally ensure that patients undergoing hemodialysis and other renal replacement therapies are getting the most of their health insurance coverage from the state health insurer.
Aligned with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of services, PhilHealth continues to champion its RISE30 Mission ensuring that every Filipino experiences the full benefits and services of PhilHealth through faster claims processing and payment.
“Alinsunod sa prayoridad ng ating Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, Jr., ako ay bumibisita at nakikipagpulong sa mga partner health care facilities para malaman at personal kong makita kung paano natutugunan ang pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayang may sakit, at siguruhing mabilis tayong nakapagbabayad ng mga benefit claims,” said Dr. Mercado.
According to NKTI, approximately one Filipino develops chronic renal failure every hour, translating to about 120 Filipinos per million population annually. Since 2023, PhilHealth has been continuously enhancing its benefits for members with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Stage 5. Notably, the coverage for hemodialysis sessions which has expanded from 90 to 156 sessions per year, providing greater support to patients in need. In addition, PhilHealth significantly increased its Z Benefit Package for Peritoneal Dialysis, offering financial assistance of up to P1.2 million. Its Z Benefit coverage for Kidney Transplantation has also been substantially raised from P600,000 to over P2 million, reflecting PhilHealth’s commitment to improving access to critical kidney care for its members.
In less than five months of this year, PhilHealth has already paid P161 million for hemodialysis procedures alone at NKTI. This highlights a sharp surge in hemodialysis utilization and spending. In FY 2024, hemodialysis was the number 1 Top Paid medical procedure in the country.
“Nakatutok ang PhilHealth sa epekto ng mga pagbabago ng benepisyo na talagang madama ng mga miyembrong nangangailangan. Kung dati ay nangangamba ang dialysis patients kung matatapos nila ang lahat ng sessions sa isang taon, ngayon tinanggal na natin ‘yan. Bumabalik sila sa PhilHealth na tuwang-tuwa, nagpapasalamat. Nabigyan natin sila ng pag-asa na bukas ulit at sa buong taon, siguradong may dialysis session pa ulit na sagot ng PhilHealth. Ito po ang patunay ng aming misyon na maihatid ang PhilHealth na mabilis, patas, at mapagkakatiwalaan,” Dr. Mercado emphasized. For more details on PhilHealth benefits, member may call PhilHealth’s 24/7 touch points at (02) 866-225-88 or at mobile numbers (Smart) 0998-857-2957, 0968-865-4670, (Globe) 0917-1275987 or 0917-1109812.
