The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has expanded its healthcare benefits to include dental services, following approval from its Board of Directors.
According to a GMA News report, the new package covers preventive and emergency dental care, such as oral examinations, dental cleaning, fluoride varnish application, fissure sealants, Class V procedures, emergency tooth extractions, and consultations.
“Universal health care must have oral health care, and the best way to make it sustainable and felt by all Filipinos is through primary care,” said Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa. He added that these services will be provided by dentists under the PhilHealth Konsulta package or through referrals to stand-alone dentists.
The package allows a maximum annual payment of ₱1,000 per patient. Preventive services, including oral screening, cleaning, and fluoride varnish, will be covered for two visits a year, with a payment of ₱300 per visit. Additional coverage includes ₱200 per tooth for fissure sealant or Class V procedures, limited to two teeth annually.
Public dentists are prohibited from charging co-payments, while private dentists may charge up to ₱1,500 for oral examinations and cleaning, ₱600 for fissure sealants or Class V procedures, and ₱600 for emergency tooth extractions.
