The province of Guimaras was identified by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) as among the four pilot areas or sandbox sites in the country for the implementation of the Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama (KonSulTa) program for primary care provider network targeting more or less 185,000 members.

KonSulTa covers individual-based services including initial and follow-up primary care consultations, health screening and assessment and access to selected 13 diagnostic services and 21 medicines.

“All their facilities are KonSulTa providers, including their hospitals. Guimaras is the only province that has submitted their intention based on the parameters set by the sandbox policy,” said PhilHealth acting Regional Vice President Janet A. Monteverde in a press conference on Monday.

She added that with the sandbox, there will be frontloading of funds, which means that they will be paid before the delivery of services.

PhilHealth officer-in-charge for Field Operations Division Bien Paul S. Obordo, in a follow-up interview, said the frontloading of funds will be done in three tranches that can augment the facilities in providing services.

The member can avail of the services within the network, compared with the regular KonSulTa where they can only avail of the accredited health provider that they have chosen.

He added that the municipal health officers of the province have committed to serving 100,000 clients but the provincial government wanted to cover 100 percent of the population. (PNA)