Coverage of MERS-CoV Cases Extended to PhilHealth Members
ON the heels of having the first recorded case in the country, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is now set to cover members with confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome – Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
“This benefit may be availed in an Accredited Healthcare Institution (HCI) that has the capabilities and facilities to manage MERS-CoV, such as those with negative isolation rooms and respirators” the PhilHealth said in a statement.
Under the benefit package, non-health workers will be provided up to a maximum of P50,000 while health workers shall be afforded as much as P100,000.
For non-health workers, the PhilHealth said they will be allocated a maximum of P10,000 (P1,500/day) for room and board; P15,000 (P1,000/day) for professional fee; and P25,000 for the medicines, laboratory tests, personal protective equipment, and ambulance fee.
For health workers, they will be entitled to a maximum of P10,000 (P1,500/day) for room and board; P30,000 (P1,000/day) for professional fee; and P60,000 for the medicines, laboratory tests, personal protective equipment, and ambulance fee.
PhilHealth said qualified “health workers” are those employees or institutional workers of an HCI, whether located in the Philippines or abroad and that cared for, or had close contact with, a MERS-CoV patient and may have had contracted the infection while performing his or her duty.
It also said confirmed cases of MERS-CoV are those that have been tested by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
PhilHealth said it found the need to cover MERS-CoV cases due its potential to cause an outbreak.
“The potential outbreak of any emerging and re-emerging infectious disease must be met with equal resolve,” said PhilHealth.
Earlier in the month, the Department of Health (DOH) announced the first confirmed case of MERS-CoV in the country after a Filipina nurse arrived from Saudi Arabia last February 1.
Last week, the Filipina nurse was already discharged after being able to recover from the respiratory ailment while confined at the RITM