Iloilo city: The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) continues to campaign for members to avail of its enhanced primary care benefit program, as data showed the top illnesses and procedures it has paid for in Western Visayas are preventable diseases. In a media forum on Tuesday, PhilHealth Western Visayas public affairs unit head Janimhe Jalbuna reported that as of Oct. 31, 2025, the state health insurance has paid over PHP790.64 million for moderate risk pneumonia and more than PHP203.97 million for hypertension.

According to Philippines News Agency, chronic kidney disease is also included with PHP153.09 million in claims. Jalbuna said the diseases could have been addressed if there were earlier interventions through the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP), which provides free drugs, medicines, and laboratory tests. “The symptoms could have been treated before they become aggravated. Take note that low-risk pneumonia can be addressed in our YAKAP. But when it becomes moderate risk, it is already high risk, so it needs admissions in hospitals,” she explained. If YAKAP benefits are maximized, Jalbuna mentioned that in-patient payments will have ‘a different picture.’

Meanwhile, in terms of procedures, the highest paid was hemodialysis with over PHP2.86 billion in claims. Jalbuna highlighted that for the past years, dialysis has been number one in terms of claims. One reason for the high claims could be the expansion of the coverage from 90 sessions to 156 sessions, along with the increased benefit package.

PhilHealth data showed that 36.5 percent of the over 8 million population in Western Visayas are registered with YAKAP, representing around 93.49 percent of the target for 2025. Of the registered members and dependents, 772,739 or 56.28 percent have already availed of their first patient encounter. Currently, there are 210 YAKAP accredited providers in Western Visayas, including 138 rural health units/city health offices, 52 government hospitals, and 20 private hospitals and clinics.