Outpatient care inequality rising

State-run policy think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) warned that while the use of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) outpatient benefits has grown significantly over the past five years, structural challenges continue to limit access, particularly in poorer and remote areas.

- BY RICARDO M. AUSTRIA

In a Jan. 7 discussion paper titled “Analyzing Outpatient Care in the Philippine: Evidence from Social Health Insurance Data,” researchers from PIDS noted that outpatient claims now make up a larger share of total PhilHealth claims, reflecting a shift toward outpatient services and expanded financial protection.

“The increase in the utilization rate may also be attributed to supply-side expansion enabled by the guaranteed financing from the PhilHealth,” PIDS said.