A BILL was filed at the House of Representatives seeking to make dialysis procedures free to senior citizens with kidney conditions.
House Bill 10545, filed by Magdalo Party-list Rep. Manuel D.G. Cabochan III, proposes that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) cover costs needed for dialysis such as laboratory fees and supplies in accredited medical facilities.
It will cover only the latest edition of the Philippine National Drug Formulary.
Mr. Cabochan said the bill is needed as the treatment of kidney diseases remains costly for senior citizens, especially those who rely on their monthly pension to meet their daily needs.
He also said that PhilHealth’s dialysis coverage of 90 free sessions per year for those with kidney diseases is not enough as patients usually need to have sessions three times a week.
“Patients still need to cover the remaining 54 out of the 144-session as out-of-pocket expenses amount to an average of P243,000,” he said in the bill’s explanatory note. — Russell Louis C. Ku
