PhilHealth is expanding what it covers. Here's what that actually changes if you end up in the hospital.

Originally reported as: “PhilHealth board approves expanded benefit package covering more conditions and higher case rates”

PhilHealth announced an expansion of its covered benefits, adding more conditions and treatments to its coverage list and raising the fixed payment amounts, called case rates, that it pays hospitals for many procedures. For members, this generally means lower out-of-pocket costs when they or a dependent are hospitalized, since PhilHealth is now shouldering a bigger share of the total bill for more types of care. The expansion does not make healthcare free. PhilHealth covers a portion of costs up to a set rate per condition, and patients are still responsible for anything the hospital charges above that amount. Understanding how PhilHealth's coverage actually works, rather than assuming it pays for everything, is the difference between a pleasant surprise at checkout and an unexpected bill.