Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 6359

Introduced by the Honorable Ann K. Hofer

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘The National Kidney and Transplant Institute reports that kidney diseases are the 7"
leading cause of death among Filipinos, with one Filipino developing chronic renal failure
every hour or about 120 Filipinos per million population per year. From only 4,000 cases back
in 2004, the number escalated to close to 23,000 in 2013. The Department of Health noted that
among the kidney diseases, the most dreaded is the End Stage Renal Diseases (ESRD), which
requires either lifetime dialysis or kidney transplant. The Philippine Health Insurance
Corporation (PhilHealth) describes this illness, also referred to as Chronic Kidney Disease or
CKD Stage 5, as an advanced stage of kidney disease wherein the kidneys have lost nearly all
their ability to do their job effectively, eventually necessitating dialysis or kidney transplant in
order for the patient to survive.

In 2015, PhilHealth issued Circular No. 024-2015, increasing the maximum number of
hemodialysis sessions a member can avail from 45 to 90 sessions per calendar year. However,
the maximum of 90 sessions is shared among the principal and his/her dependent/s. To
illustrate, a principal member with no dependent/s shall be granted 90 sessions; while, in cases
where both the principal and dependent/s are undergoing hemodialysis, they shall both share
the maximum of 90 sessions only. While this new dialysis package increased the number of
sessions covered by PhilHealth, it remains inadequate to fully cover the number of
hemodialysis sessions needed by patients with CKD Stage 5, which may reach three times a
week or 156 sessions a year.

This bill seeks to mandate the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to further
increase its hemodialysis treatment coverage of members of the National Health Insurance
Program to 156 sessions per year.

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K. HOFER
Second District, Zamboanga Sibugay


Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress

First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL noé 359

Introduced by the Honorable Ann K. Hofer

AN ACT
MANDATING THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH INSURANCE CORPORATION TO
INCREASE THE HEMODIALYSIS TREATMENT COVERAGE OF
MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM TO ONE
HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SIX (156) SESSIONS PER YEAR

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) shall provide
coverage for hemodialysis treatment of members of the National Health Insurance Program up to

one hundred and fifty-six (156) sessions per year;

SEC. 2. Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, the President of the
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation shall, in coordination with the Secretary of

Health, issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act;

SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the

Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,