PhilHealth to cover preventive oral health services

November 29, 2024 , 05:15 PM

By Gabriel Kim Leal

(November 29, 2024) – The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) on Friday stepped up its healthcare offerings with a new dental package that provides up to P1,000 annually for essential oral care services.

Approved by the PhilHealth Board of Directors en banc, the package covers services like oral screening, cleaning, and fluoride varnish application, which aims to make dental care accessible to more Filipinos.

“Universal health care must have oral health care, and the best way to make it sustainable and felt by all Filipinos is through primary care,” said Health secretary Teodoro Herbosa, who is also ex-officio chairperson of PhilHealth.

PhilHealth said the initiative is part of the “Ngiting 70-20” project, which aims to help Filipinos retain 20 permanent teeth by age 70.

Each patient is entitled to an annual coverage of P300 for the first visit, which includes an oral examination, cleaning, and fluoride varnish application. Another P300 is provided for a second visit at least four months later, covering the same services. Additionally, patients can receive P200 per tooth for sealants or restorations, with a limit of two teeth per year, totaling up to P400.

Extractions or tooth removal, however, are not included in the package.

PhilHealth clarified that public dentists will not charge any co-payments. Private dentists, however, may impose limited co-payments, capped at P1,500 for oral screening and cleaning, P600 for sealants or restorations, and P600 for emergency tooth extractions.

“The Philippine journey for oral health care has been like a roller coaster with ups and downs in implementation,” said Health assistant secretary Albert Domingo. “We are now rising again to fulfill the mandate of Universal Health Care that includes oral health.”

PhilHealth is finalizing the program’s implementing circular, expected to be completed by December.

The rollout is planned for the first quarter of 2025, with further developments, including IT systems and stakeholder training, scheduled to wrap up by mid-2025.

According to the Philippine Dental Association, seven out of 10 Filipinos, or approximately 72% of the population, suffer from dental caries or tooth decay.

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