PhilHealth provides P227.5M to Heart Center

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has issued P227.5 million to the Philippine Heart Center (PHC), covering medical claims for 459 patients treated for heart attacks between 21 December 2024 and 18 July 2025.

This disbursement is one of the largest reimbursements under PhilHealth’s enhanced benefit packages for ischemic heart disease-acute myocardial infarction (IHD-AMI). The updated packages, implemented late last year, significantly increased financial coverage for key heart procedures, allowing hospitals higher reimbursements and patients reduced out-of-pocket costs for life-saving treatment.

Under the expanded scheme, coverage for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has increased more than 15-fold, from P30,300 to P523,853. Fibrinolysis, another critical procedure, now receives P133,500 in benefits, up from just over P30,000 previously.

Additional services such as emergency medical response and cardiac rehabilitation are also included under the expanded rates, with reimbursements of P21,900 and P66,140, respectively.

PhilHealth officials stated the new rates are designed to reflect actual hospital costs and ensure patients, particularly those in basic ward settings, are not burdened by additional payments.

The changes are part of the state health insurer’s implementation of Republic Act 11223, the Universal Health Care Law, which guarantees automatic health coverage and access to essential medical services for all Filipinos.

The PHC is among the first major institutions to receive a high-value reimbursement under the revised package, signaling PhilHealth’s commitment to rapidly deploying the new benefit rates nationwide.

Earlier this year, the Philippine General Hospital received P22.8 million in claims for 77 patients treated under the same IHD-AMI program during the first quarter of 2025.

Meantime, the local government of Quezon City has received a substantial boost in public health funding, securing P76.6 million in reimbursements from PhilHealth for providing HIV/AIDS treatment services to more than 3,000 patients between 1 January 2024 and 18 July 2025.

This amount covers 3,086 claims under PhilHealth’s expanded Outpatient HIV/AIDS Treatment (OHAT) Package and represents a significant reimbursement for a single city in Metro Manila.

While official rankings are unavailable, the disbursement underscores the increasing role of healthcare financing in supporting local health systems and strengthening institutional capacity.

PhilHealth acting president and chief executive officer Dr. Edwin Mercado personally led the ceremonial check turnover on 23 July and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte received the check, witnessed by Quezon City health officer Dr. Romana Abarquez, PhilHealth NCR vice president Dr. Bernadette Lico and other PhilHealth officers.

The OHAT Package has been enhanced to P58,500 annually per patient, a 95 percent increase from the previous P30,000. The package now covers a wider range of services, including anti-retroviral therapy, baseline laboratory tests, and necessary health interventions for people living with HIV, regardless of their clinical status.