The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has disbursed P173.68 billion in benefit claims from January 1 to August 2, marking a significant 86.39 percent increase, compared to the figure for the same period last year. In a recent public advisory, PhilHealth said the amount was distributed across both public and private healthcare institutions nationwide.
Private facilities received P102.04 billion, while public facilities accounted for P71.64 billion in reimbursements. This year’s figure exceeded the P93.18 billion in total paid claims for the same period in 2024.
PhilHealth said the 86.39% increase in benefits paid this year is clear proof of its sincere commitment to its RISE 30 mission to deliver healthcare services that are Rapid, Inclusive, Secure, and Equitable.
“Behind this amount are stories of lives that were saved, loved ones reunited, illnesses prevented through early detection, and financial burdens eased),” it added.
In a related development. PhilHealth will cover selected outpatient cancer screening tests under its new Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) starting August 14 in a bid to reduce cancer-related deaths and ease the financial burden on Filipino families.
In a recent news release, PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Edwin Mercado said the new benefit package will encourage more Filipinos to undergo timely screening. Through this new benefit for outpatient cancer screening, we have expanded every Filipino’s access to the early detection of cancer,” he added, noting thar that the new benefit package will make early detection tests for breast, lung, liver and colorectal cancers more accessible to members nationwide.
The new package was launched at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center in Manila, one of PhilHealth’s accredited screening facilities. Under YAKAP, PhilHealth will cover the following:
Mammogram – P2,610
Breast ultrasound – P350
Low-dose chest CT scan – PHP7,220
Alpha Fetoprotein – P1,230
Liver ultrasound – P960
Colonoscopy – P23,640
To avail of the benefit, members must register at a PhilHealth YAKAP Clinic, undergo a medical assessment and secure a doctor’s prescription referring them to an accredited cancer screening facility.
The state insurer said it supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s push for Universal Health Care, as outlined in his fourth State of the Nation Address. Estimates showed that cancer-related premature deaths, especially among family breadwinners, cost the economy about P35.3 billion annually.
Cancer remains as one of the leading causes of death in the Philippines, with Globocan 2022 reporting nearly 189,000 new cases and over 113,000 deaths.
According to the World Health Organization, early detection can boost survival rates up to 99% for breast cancer and over 90% for cervical cancer. (PNA)