If you’re a Philhealth member, be aware of your benefits as an expectant mom.
Pregnant Philhealth members can avail a maternity care package (worth P19,000 for women who had a C-Section and P5000-P6000 for those who had a normal spontaneous delivery) as well as a Newborn Care Package for the baby.
What is Philhealth’s Newborn Care Package (NCP)?
The NCP is a benefit that qualified Philhealth members can claim. It covers fees for health services needed by newborns during the first few days of life, such as essential newborn care, newborn screening and hearing screening tests.
Specifically, the NCP covers below expenses:
Supplies for Essential Newborn Care (ENC): P500
- Vitamin K
- Eye Ointment
- Hepatitis B Vaccine
- BCG Vaccine
Professional Fee: P500
Expanded Newborn Screening Test (ENBS): P1,750
Newborn Hearing Screening Test (NHST): P200
How much is the Newborn Care Package?
The total amount of this Package is P2,950. This used to be just P1,750.
How to Claim the NCP?
Unlike Philhealth’s Maternity Care Package (MCP), claiming the NCP would require submission of test results that might not be available during your discharge. Some newborn test results are not released on the same day that you leave the hospital. This means that you have to return to the hospital once the results are available and include them in a set of documents you will submit for reimbursement of NICU fees.
Is there a deadline for filing NCP claims?
Yes. The filing of claims together with the supporting documents shall be done within 60 days from the date of discharge unless the claim was returned-to-hospital (RTH) due to missing or incomplete documentary requirements. Be sure to coordinate with the hospital or birthing facility regarding the filing procedure and required documents.
Was I able to claim NCP when I gave birth?
We totally forgot to follow up on the test results. Like other new parents, we were so busy trying to adjust to a new way of life. Our focus has been keeping the baby well and happy, we didn’t bother claiming this benefit. If a relative, husband or partner is taking care of all your discharge papers, the NCP will likely be overlooked. If you don’t want that to happen, put a reminder on your phone to submit all documents on time.
Philhealth has already covered a huge amount when it deducted P19k on my total hospital bill so it was okay for us not to claim NCP’s P2,750. But if you can’t, you should be ready to follow up with the hospital/birthing center until you are able to gather all required documents and successfully file the claim.
Read this source to find out the complete details about Philhealth’s Newborn Care Package (NCP): Circular: Enhancement of Newborn Care Package