The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is piloting its Primary Care Benefit 1 package to members of the employed sectors starting with all teachers and other personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd) beginning this June.

This is in support to the Aquino Health Agenda (also known as Kalusugan Pangkalahatan) to provide universal health care for all Filipinos.

This benefit package covers consultation, including annual health profiling, basic screening for cancer of cervix and breast, counseling to maintain one’s health and basic laboratory tests like complete blood count, urinalysis, fecalysis, sputum microscopy, fasting blood sugar, lipid profile and chest x-ray, if deemed necessary by their primary doctor.

The DepEd shall identify the accredited PCB1 providers for their employees nearest to their workplace which would include outpatient departments of government hospitals and rural health units/health centers with laboratory services.

Knowledge gained from this endeavor shall be a basis in rolling out the outpatient benefit to other employed members of PhilHealth, thereby strengthening the gate keeping capacity of outpatient facilities in the country, and for developing other special benefit packages.

The provider shall be paid a Per Family Payment (PFP) Rate of P500 annually for each DepEd employee enrolled, enlisted and profiled, in accordance with set guidelines.