MANILA – The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) Board of Directors en banc on Friday approved the preventive oral health benefit package for all.
The package will pay for the annual routine preventive oral care services for every Filipino, such as mouth examination or oral screening, oral prophylaxis or cleaning, and fluoride varnish application. Coverage also includes pit and fissure sealant and Class V procedures, emergency tooth extractions and dental 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,” Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said.
“The Board agreed on a preventive oral health benefit to be delivered by dentists working in PhilHealth Konsulta package providers, and also by stand-alone dentists based on referrals from the Konsulta providers,” he added.
The new dental package is part of the state insurer’s expansion of primary care benefits in line with the government’s vision of “Ngiting 70-20,” ensuring more Filipinos will reach the age of 70 years old with 20 permanent teeth still in place.
Philhealth will implement the package in the first or second quarter of 2025.
The approval coincided with the country’s participation in the first World Health Organization Global Oral Health Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand on Nov. 26 to 29.(PNA)