The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is reaching more Negrenses to access the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) primary care services through registration caravans.
PhilHealth-Bacolod information officer Christine Mirano said on Thursday that more registration caravans are scheduled in this highly urbanized city as well as in other local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental on all weekends this September.
“We have been conducting YAKAP caravans since July. We conducted a four-day registration caravan in Moises Padilla on the last week of August,” she told the Philippine News Agency.
From Aug. 25 to 28, at least 2,139 PhilHealth members and dependents in Moises Padilla were assigned to their YAKAP provider of choice, bringing them one step closer to accessing quality and comprehensive primary healthcare services.
The Moises Padilla Primary Care Facility provided first patient encounter services to members for them to access YAKAP primary care services.
Data from PhilHealth-Western Visayas as of July 31 showed that in Negros Occidental, only 293,506 PhilHealth members and dependents are registered to YAKAP clinics, representing only 9.04 percent of the 3.25-million projected population.
Through the registration caravan, PhilHealth assists members in their YAKAP assignment and strengthens partnerships with LGUs in bringing essential health services closer to members, particularly those living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
The YAKAP primary care benefit includes consultations, laboratory and diagnostic tests and 75 essential medicines under the GAMOT (Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment).
Currently, PhilHealth has accredited 62 YAKAP clinics as well as 45 GAMOT pharmacies in Negros Occidental.
Members can also avail cancer screening services at Bacolod Queen of Mercy Hospital, Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital, Kabankalan City Hospital and Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital. (PNA)