The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) in Antique is set to intensify its campaign to increase the number of Antiqueños engaging with Konsulta package providers (KPPs). During a press conference on December 3, 2024, Junie Sabusap, the head of PHIC’s Antique provincial office, announced plans to increase the frequency of caravans across municipalities. These efforts aim to both register new members and ensure that existing members have their initial consultation with KPPs.
Sabusap emphasized the importance of coordinating with doctors and nurses from accredited KPPs to facilitate these first patient encounters. According to Janimhe Jalbuna, head of the PHIC Regional Office Public Affairs Unit, out of the 312,611 registered members in Antique, only 44,090 had their first patient encounter by October 31, 2024. This initial consultation is crucial as it helps KPPs gather essential baseline data on the health status of members.
The Konsulta program, a flagship initiative of PHIC, is designed to prevent members and their beneficiaries from falling ill or suffering from low-risk diseases like pneumonia. It offers free consultations, medications, and laboratory tests. All 18 Municipal Health Offices and 10 government hospitals in Antique are accredited KPP providers.
Jalbuna pointed out that the low number of first patient encounters might be due to the health-seeking behavior of the local population. She urged the media to play a role in spreading awareness about the importance of these initial consultations. To date, PHIC has disbursed PHP33 million to KPPs in Antique for their services and medications provided.