A widow whose viral post criticized the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for denying her husband's benefits is set to meet with the agency's top official.
Meeting Scheduled
Maria Lourdes Sulit will discuss her case with PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Edwin Mercado, according to PhilHealth spokesman Dr. Israel Pargas. In a radio interview, Pargas confirmed the meeting, stating, "Our P/CEO is set to meet with the wife of the patient to discuss what actions and other forms of assistance may still be provided to them."
Viral Post and Grievance
Sulit's social media post revealed her shock upon learning her husband was ineligible for PhilHealth benefits because he was confined for less than 24 hours. Her husband suffered a brain hematoma, incurring a hospital bill of P200,000 in under a day. Sulit described her late husband as a "lifelong member" who "paid faithfully throughout his working years."
Available Benefits
Pargas explained that benefit packages exist even for patients who do not meet the 24-hour confinement rule. "We have benefits for cases such as someone died in less than 24 hours. We also have packages assigned in less than two days or after. Maybe the hospital is not too familiar with it, so they did not honor the benefit," he said.
Specifically, the patient's family could have received between P70,000 to over P100,000. "For the surgery alone, they may get around P73,000 to P108,000," Pargas added.
Reimbursement Plan
PhilHealth is now considering direct reimbursement to the family. "We will directly give it to our member or his relatives, in this case. Whatever amount he is entitled to, we will provide it to them. It will be in the form of reimbursement instead of deduction," Pargas said.
