Negros Occidental tops PhilHealth NBB compliance for Region VI

THE No Balance Billing (NBB) policy of PhilHealth provides that qualified members shall not incur any out-of-pocket expense during confinement.

As part of their performance commitment, health care institutions are required to provide NBB eligible members utmost quality of care, including but not limited to medicines, supplies, diagnostics and other medically necessary services beyond the amount covered for by the case rate.

Member under the Indigent and Sponsored program, Senior Citizens, Lifetime members and Kasambahays are guaranteed full financial risk protection when seeking medical attention in accredited government facilities.

In 2019, Region VI has recorded 59,043 NBB eligible members of which 82.74 percent or 48,854 patients have benefitted from the No Balance Billing Program.  In Negros Occidental alone, a total of 15,568 patients or 91.45 percent out of 17,023 NBB eligible patients were able to enjoy the benefits of PhilHealth without paying any single centavo for their medical expenses.

“We laud the effort of the Local Government Units in ensuring that the most vulnerable sectors of society are given adequate financial protection against health risk by strictly implementing PhilHealth’s policy on NBB,” said Atty. Valerie Anne H. Hollero, regional vice president of PhilHealth in Western Visayas. 

“PhilHealth Region VI would like to commend the four government facilities with 100 percent NBB policy compliance, namely: Pedro L. Gindap Municipal Hospital and Valderrama Municipal Hospital in the province of Antique and Binalbagan Infirmary and Cauayan District Hospital in Negros Occidental,” Hollero added. 

Other provinces in the region registered NBB compliance rates between 87.69 percent to 56.12 percent.  Results from a survey conducted by PhilHealth reveal that common reasons for low compliance include purchase of drugs and supplies as well as payment for laboratory examinations, blood units and professional fees.

Atty. Hollero encouraged all partner-health care providers to increase their compliance with the NBB policy reminding them that this is part of the hospital’s Performance Commitment./PN