PhilHealth launches post-kidney transplant benefit packages

MANILA, July 5 ------ The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) launched a benefit package to support patients who have undergone kidney transplantation. In a news release, PhilHealth said the Z Benefit packages for post-kidney transplantation services aim to help patients focus on their recovery after surgery and not on the expenses.

For pediatric patients, PhilHealth said it will provide the following financial coverage:

- PHP73,065 monthly for immunosuppressive medications for the first year and PHP41,150 monthly for the following years

- Up to PHP45,570 monthly for drug prophylaxis or antibiotic to prevent infection

- PHP37,585 for quarterly laboratory procedures for the first year and PHP14,078 quarterly in the succeeding years

For patients who are 19 years old and above, PhilHealth will provide the following financial coverage:

- PHP40,725 monthly for immunosuppressive medications

- PHP18,932 for six months of medication

- PHP11,242 for quarterly laboratory procedures for the first month and PHP8,125 quarterly for the succeeding years

Kidney donors will receive support under both benefit packages, PhilHealth said. "Ang mga living donors para sa mga bata at mga mas nakakatanda ay parehong makakatanggap ng PHP1,900 para sa kada-anim na buwan na pagpapa-laboratoryo at monitoring," it said.

The state insurer assured the public that it will continue to care and support living kidney donors as their contributions are significant in public health. According to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), kidney transplantation remains the gold standard in treating chronic kidney disease (CKD) despite availability of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. There are 38 transplant centers —11 government hospitals and 27 private hospital— nationwide.

The NKTI said CKD is one of the top 10 causes of illness and death in the Philippines. It estimates that 2.3 million Filipinos have CKD, with one Filipino developing chronic kidney failure every hour or about 120 Filipinos per million population annually. Earlier in the day, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visited the dialysis patients with CKD and checked on the post-kidney transplant patients at the NKTI in Diliman, Quezon City.

The President also announced the expanded Z Benefit package of PhilHealth.

Source: pna.gov.ph