PhilHealth lists benefits for pregnant women 

As the country celebrates National Women’s Month this March, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) reminded that women about to give birth may avail themselves of a variety of PhilHealth benefits to help protect them from financial risks, according to a report by Philippine News Agency.

PhilHealth acting president and chief executive officer Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr. said expectant mothers may avail of the Maternity Care Package (MCP), Normal Spontaneous Delivery (NSD) Package, or Antenatal Care Package (ACP).

Ledesma said MCP is a benefit that covers the complete essential health care services for women about to give birth during the antenatal period, entire stages of labor, normal delivery, and immediate post-partum period, including follow-up visits within 72 hours and one week after delivery.

“This package may be availed in hospitals for a case rate of PHP6,500, or in infirmaries, dispensaries, birthing homes, and maternity clinics for an PHP8,000 case rate,” he said in a news release on Tuesday.

He said 40 percent of the case rate would be allotted for professional fees, while the remaining 60 percent is for facility fee.

The NSD Package, meanwhile, covers essential health services for normal low risk vaginal deliveries and post-partum period within the first 72 hours and seven days after delivery.

Besides normal spontaneous delivery, other procedures covered by the assistance package in accredited hospitals include caesarian section, complicated vaginal delivery, breech extraction and vaginal delivery after caesarian section.

He said the case rate for caesarian section is PHP19,000, PHP9,700 for complicated vaginal delivery, and PHP12,120 for breech delivery and vaginal delivery after caesarian section.

Ledesma said mothers who wished to practice family planning after giving birth may also avail of post-partum intrauterine device (IUD) insertion, which the state insurer also covers.

“The case rate of IUD insertion is PHP2,000, which may be claimed as a second case rate,” he said.

“Maaari po itong i-avail sa (This can be availed of at) accredited health care institutions, kasama na ang (including) birthing homes, lying-in or maternity clinics, and infirmaries/dispensaries,”Ledesma said.