Cebu City: Patients in two public hospitals here can still avail of the zero-balance billing through the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and Malasakit program amid significant increases in hospital fees. Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said Wednesday that hospital fees would rather increase the reimbursable fees to be shouldered by PhilHealth while the patients would pay nothing upon discharge from the Cebu City Medical Center and Guba Community Hospital.

According to Philippines News Agency, Garcia’s reaction came after the Cebu City Council imposed an increase in medical and laboratory fees, even as the councilor who authored the ordinance explained that the rate adjustment would not affect patients. “The rate increase will only increase the reimbursements from PhilHealth. After all, it is PhilHealth that would shoulder the expenses of every patient admitted at the Cebu City Hospital and Guba Hospital,” he said.

A significant increase was announced by the hospitals, imposing laboratory services
and routine tests, such as routine urinalysis to PHP263 from PHP30; pregnancy test, PHP385 from PHP100; complete blood count, PHP368 from PHP60; and routine stool exams, PHP255 from PHP30. X-rays now cost PHP290 from PHP120.

CT Scan fees jumped from PHP5,769 to PHP23,748.45 while MRI procedures cost between PHP8,249.38 and PHP186,280. The fees for dialysis treatments have also increased, such as for AV fistula dialysis now at PHP7,447.02 and CVC dialysis at PHP8,347.32.

The revised rates also include higher costs for maternity and newborn services with emergency room delivery now at PHP5,000; forceps-assisted delivery, PHP8,000; newborn care package, PHP1,800; delivery package, PHP10,140; and institutional delivery, PHP6,500. The daily charges for ward, intensive care unit, neonatal or pediatric ICU stay at PHP600, PHP2,500, and PHP1,200, respectively. Garcia said the rate was last adjusted 14 years ago.