Dagupan City is targeting to include 50,000 beneficiaries for the KonSulTa program which it will start to be implemented soon.
KonSulTa or KONsultasyon SULit at Tama, is a program which aims to strengthen preventive care among all Filipinos and serves as a transitional phase or ‘gateway’ towards a comprehensive outpatient benefit as mandated by the Universal Health Care (UHC) law.
Mayor Belen Fernandez stressed her wish to for a 50,000 target beneficiaries for the Konsulta program including indigent Dagupeños.
The mayor with executives of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) Region 1 on Monday, August 8, had a meeting to discuss the implementation of the KonSulTa program in Dagupan City.
Dagupan City is the first local government unit in Region 1 to implement the Konsulta program following its status as a UHC Implementation Site.
KonSulTa also aims to ensure that all Filipinos are guaranteed equitable access to quality and affordable health care goods and services and protected against financial risk.
The Dagupan City Health Office (CHO) located in barangay Herrero-Perez is the 1st Department of Health-licensed primary care facility in Region 1 and is the accredited Konsulta provider in the region as well.
Among the initial target beneficiaries, Mayor Fernandez said the program would include indigent Dagupeños and their dependents, senior citizens, members of the lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual, persons with disabilities and solo parents, among others.
The first step is to register at the CHO or an accredited Konsulta provider for those who want to avail Konsulta services for Dagupeños and residents of other cities and municipalities.
Beneficiaries will have to update their health profile, undergo checkups and/or laboratory and diagnostic tests and receive medicines as ordered by the physician.
Philhealth Circular 2022-0005 also aim to set the implementing guidelines for the Philhealth Konsulta Package to expand the primary care benefit to cover all Filipinos.