The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will expand its free medicines program by adding five more medicines soon.

PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr. said Thursday 27 other medicines were initially included in the 21 free medicines under the PhilHealth Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment or GAMOT.

The free medicines are part of the Konsulta Package, which also provides free consultations, health screening and assessment, and 15 laboratory tests.

“PhilHealth’s Konsulta Package is the answer to persisting health conditions and emerging diseases that could possibly lead to financial exhaustion should they be left unattended,” Ledesma said.

PhilHealth acting vice president of Corporate Affairs Rey Baleña said the additional medicines will be undergoing pilot tests in the second half of the year.

Konsulta Package focuses on primary healthcare and is offered by over 2,600 hospitals nationwide.

“After the pilot tests, we are set to roll out the additional medicines nationwide,” Baleña said.

He said the state agency allocated P30 billion to the Konsulta Package this year.

Ledesma announced the addition of the five medicines at the signing of the MoU between the PhilHealth and the Philippine Information Agency, the government’s media.

Through the MoU, he expects more Filipinos and medical professionals, especially in the provinces, to learn about the Konsulta Package and other PhilHealth programs, such as the Breast Cancer Package.

PhilHealth has expanded the rates of benefits coverage to 30 percent. Ledesma had said the agency is studying ways to further increase it to 50 percent.