THE province’s overseas Filipino workers can now look forward to better health services from the government.

      The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has expanded and enhanced the current Outpatient Benefit (OPB) Package under its Overseas Workers Program (OWP) to make it more responsive to the needs of overseas Filipino workers and their legal dependents.

      Through a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the Department of Health (DOH), PhilHealth has allocated P6 million for the DOH as a global budget for the initial implementation of the Enhanced OWP Outpatient Benefit Package from July to December 2007.
 

      “The benefit package also adopts a zero co-pay system, meaning there will be no out-of-pocket expenses for OWP  members and dependents  availing themselves of the services rendered by DOH hospitals,” said Lorna Fajardo, acting PhilHealth President and CEO.

      Among the new benefits for OFWs include consultations, diagnostic services such as complete blood count, routine  urinalysis, fecalysis, fasting blood sugar, blood typing, hemoglobin/hematocrit, electrocardiogram and hepatitis  B screening test; promotive /preventive health services such as periodic  digital  rectal exam, visual  acetic acid screening for cervical cancer, periodic clinical breast exam and nutrition or dietary counseling.

      Also included are visual acuity exam, psychological evaluation and debriefing, auditory evaluation and treatment for urinary tract infection, upper respiratory tract infection and acute gastro-enteritis.

      The new package will initially be available from July to September this year in the following DOH hospitals in the National Capital Region: Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, San Lazaro Hospital, Tondo Medical Center, Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, East Ave. Medical Center, Quirino  Memorial Medical Center, Phil. Orthopedic Center, National Children’s Hospital, National Center for Mental Health, Amang Rodriguez Medical Center, Rizal Medical Center, Valenzuela General Hospital, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and Las Piñas General Hospital Satellite Trauma Center.

      From October onwards, the package will also be available in other DOH hospitals in various parts of the country. PhilHealth will release the list of participating hospitals soon.

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