Ched Rick Gatchalian

Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) manually process their members’ transactions at PhilHealth National Capital Region Central Branch in Quezon City on Tuesday, September 28. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) manually process their members’ transactions at PhilHealth National Capital Region Central Branch in Quezon City on Tuesday, September 28, following the shutdown of their online system due to a cyberattack last week. 
PhilHealth advise their members and their qualified dependents to present a copy of their PhilHealth identification card, member data record, or other supporting documents to access health benefits amid the temporary shutdown of its online system.Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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Filipinos to enjoy more PhilHealth services after primary care benefit 'revitalized'

Raphael Bosano

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175342213099520230926-philhealth office-MT-2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) manually process their members’ transactions at PhilHealth National Capital Region Central Branch in Quezon City on Tuesday, September 28. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </div><div> </div>MANILA — As the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation launched efforts to “revitalize” its primary care benefit package, Filipinos would not only get to enjoy consultations for different conditions but also more services in the coming weeks.Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama (Konsulta), PhilHealth’s comprehensive outpatient benefit, was designed to provide Filipinos access to essential primary care services. PhilHealth has renamed Konsulta into YAKAP (Yaman ng Kalusugan Program) with an expansion to other health services including medicines, check-ups and laboratory tests and screening for different types of cancers.PhilHealth President and CEO Edwin Mercado acknowledged the need to expand coverage given the various risks the public is exposed to and the potential diseases they could develop.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/2/20/philhealth-now-covers-outpatient-emergency-services-1213">PhilHealth now covers outpatient emergency services</a></div>“Itong bagong balangkas namin na laboratory ay para madetect at matreat agad yung mga may cancer o nagsisimulang cancer. Isasama na dito yung mammography. Yung colonoscopy, icocover na rin po yan ng Philhealth. Kahit kayo ay hindi nakakaramdam basta umedad na kayo sa standard na kelangan gawin. So meron ding testing sa liver cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer at ovarian cancer,” he said.(These new lab tests that we’ve included are for the detection and early treatment of cancer, including mammography. Colonoscopy will also be covered by PhilHealth. Even if you don’t feel symptoms as long as you reach the age where it becomes a necessary and standard procedure. Included as well are testings for liver cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer and ovarian cancer.)Aside from better access to what is often perceived as expensive medical tests and screenings, access to more medicines will also be felt. Mercado said that based on their findings, 40 percent of an individual&#x27;s out-of-pocket expenses is allocated for maintenance medicines. PhilHealth plans to ease this burden by providing every Filipino with a credit line of P20,000 that they may use to purchase medicines against certain diseases.“So hindi lang ito sa mga Pinoy na may maintenance medicine kundi pwedeng i-avail kung kayo ay may ubo, sipon, pneumonia para hindi lumala, mabigyan kayo agad ng gamot at hindi na kayo maospital pa,” Mercado said. (This isn’t only for Filipinos on maintenance medicines but even for those with simple coughs, colds and pneumonia. So that you will be able to treat yourself, prevent it from worsening and avoid hospitalization.)The improvement of the Konsulta program to YAKAP, according to Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Secretary Frederick Go, comes after identifying various challenges with Konsulta including the low awareness, misconceptions, and fewer service providers.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who attended the launch of YAKAP, said PhilHealth’s improved program would primarily benefit the working class who are already pre-occupied working for their families and might not have the time to travel far just to visit a medical facility.“Kailangan ibaba ang healthcare natin hindi lamang sa mga malalaking ospital kundi sa mga maliliit na clinic. Ito ngayon ang aming ginagawa. Ang karamihan mga 80-85 percent ng reklamo na may nararamdaman ay simple lamang, hindi naman kumplikado,” Marcos said.(We need to bring healthcare down and not confine it to big hospitals but also to smaller clinics. This is what we are doing now. Majority, around 80-85 percent of helath-related complaints are simple and not complicated.)<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/2/11/medical-facilities-told-to-seek-accreditation-as-philhealth-expands-benefits-1430">Medical facilities told to seek accreditation as PhilHealth expands benefits</a></div>Marcos added government was maximizing the use of technology to make communication and healthcare transactions easier.“I-download niyo na po ang eGov super app. Pag na-download po ninyo, halos lahat mula registration hanggang yung pagkuha sa pharmacy ng inyong gamot, lahat ay magagawa na online. Para hindi na kayo babiyahe mula sa inyong tinitirhan hanggang sa malalayong capital city, regional centers,” he said. (Download the egov super app. If you do, you’ll be able to do everything from registration to getting your medicines, online. You won’t need to travel fart to the capital city or regional centers like we used to.)PhilHealth will release a complete list of facilities, medicines and services that the public may avail through YAKAP in the coming weeks.

As the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation launched efforts to “revitalize” its primary care benefit package, Filipinos would not only get to enjoy consultations for different conditions but also more services in the coming weeks.

As the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation launched efforts to “revitalize” its primary care benefit package, Filipinos would not only get to enjoy consultations for different conditions but also more services in the coming weeks.

More medicines, cancer screenings available under PhilHealth’s ‘revitalized’ primary care benefit

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More medicines, cancer screenings available under PhilHealth’s ‘revitalized’ primary care benefit

Raphael Bosano,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 25, 2025 02:11 PM PHT

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