The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) was recently recognized by the Cebu Provincial Board for expanding its coverage for hemodialysis from 90 to 156 sessions.

The Provincial Board in its Resolution No. 1759-2023 approved on 11 August 2023, "commend(s) and express(es) utmost gratitude to PhilHealth for the issuance of its Circular No. 2023-0009 which allows its members who are registered in its Chronic Kidney Disease 5 database to avail of a maximum of 156 hemodialysis sessions from the previous 90 sessions".

The health insurer announced the expansion and institutionalization of its hemodialysis coverage through PhilHealth Circular 2023-0009 which took effect in June this year. The increase in coverage is in accordance with the current standards for adequate hemodialysis consisting of three four-hour sessions per week.

PhilHealth members and their qualified dependents diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD5) needing hemodialysis as prescribed by their nephrologists may avail themselves of this benefit package. The state insurer also clarifies that if the member and the dependent are both hemodialysis patients, they are qualified to avail of 156 hemodialysis sessions each.

The patient should also be registered in the PhilHealth Dialysis Database prior to availing. With this development, CKD5 patients on hemodialysis can avail of as much as P405,600 per year at P2,600 per session.

"We express our gratitude to the Cebu Provincial Board led by Vice Governor Hilario Davide III for recognizing PhilHealth's effort to ease the financial burden of our kababayans undergoing hemodialysis treatment," PhilHealth President and CEO Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr. said. "Rest assured that we will continue to commit ourselves to providing adequate financial risk protection to our members by enhancing and introducing new benefit packages.", he added.

The PhilHealth Chief also reminded members with chronic renal issues to consider kidney transplantation or peritoneal dialysis first before going on hemodialysis. "We urge our kidney patients to avail of these benefits to achieve a better quality of life.", Ledesma said of the available benefits that are highly recommended by experts for CKD5 patients. He explained that PhilHealth is providing P600,000 for renal patients qualified under the Z Benefit for Kidney Transplantation, or P270,000 for a year's financial support to patients who opt to go on peritoneal dialysis under its Z Benefit for PD-First