“TO further increase access of clients to the PhilHealth Outpatient HIV/AIDS Treatment (OHAT) Package and to help battle the growing number of People Living with HIV (PLHIV), PhilHealth now accredits stand-alone HIV treatment hubs and satellite treatment hubs in the country as providers of OHAT” said Lourdes Diocson, PhilHealth-6 Regional Vice President.
The Department of Health (DOH) – Epidemiology Bureau data revealed that there were 1,021 Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive individuals reported to HIV/AIDS and Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) Registry of the Philippines (HARP) in January 2018. Of the total number, one third or 32percent were from National Capital Region (NCR). The other top five regions with the most number of newly diagnosed cases together accounting to 75 percent are Region 4A with 16percent, Regions 3 and 7 each with 10percent respectively and 7percent from Region 6.
“The HARP being the official record of the total number of laboratory-confirmed HIV positive individuals and deaths noted an average of 66percent increase of new cases per day from 2015 to 2018. With this, DOH established more treatment hubs to bring essential health services closer to PLHIV. It is also in this light that PhilHealth extends its effort to accredit the additional hubs.” said Dr. Amalia Fernandez, Medical Specialist I of PhilHealth-6.
Previously, PhilHealth has accredited institutions delivering OHAT package and has paid at least 11 million in Region 6 alone for 2017 and about 8 million for the first semester of 2018. With the new policy of the Corporation, stand-alone HIV treatment hubs or those operating independently from a PhilHealth accredited facility and satellite treatment hubs or primary HIV care facilities can now apply for accreditation as provider of PhilHealth OHAT.
Currently, there are four accredited hubs providing OHAT package in the region. These are Western Visayas Medical Center, The Medical City Iloilo, Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod, and Dr. Rafael S. Tumbokon Memorial Hospital in Aklan.
For initial accreditation, the DOH recognized HIV health care provider may submit the required documents to the nearest PhilHealth office and shall abide with the process of accreditation set by the Corporation.
The accredited provider shall follow the rules and regulations set by PhilHealth and shall comply with the guidelines on benefit availment and claims processing. Further, it shall be able to provide services for PLHIV such as: (a) laboratory services; (b) adherence and psychosocial counseling; (c) management of PLHIV based on current treatment guidelines; (d) prophylaxis medication; and (e) referral mechanism to other services.
Moreover, the PhilHealth benefit package for HIV/AIDS is P30,000 which can be availed in any accredited HIV treatment facility by an active member and/or dependent.
Dr. Fernandez further added that “PhilHealth strongly works hand in hand with partner agencies to reduce the transmission of HIV among the most at risk population. Apart from expanding our policies, the Corporation is also in full support of the DOH’s prevention and health education campaign to battle HIV/AIDS transmission”.
The DOH has implemented ‘ABCDE’ of HIV prevention to make the community aware of the simple ways in order to avoid transmission of the virus. The ‘ABCDE’ stands for Abstinence, Be Mutually Faithful, Correct and Consistent Use of Condoms, Do Use Clean Needles All the Time, and Education and Right Information./PN
