March 29, 2024

After a three-month suspension, the health benefit packages from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation has resumed at the Benguet General Hospital on Nov. 30.
PhilHealth Regional Vice President Dominga Gadgad, announced the resumption of the benefits at the provincial-run hospital after the latter suspended the accreditation of BeGH from Sept. 1 to Nov. 29 due to a 2011 administrative offense.
“The processing of claims for benefit availment shall already resume for admissions. In this regard, members and their dependents may already proceed to the said hospital should they opt to avail of PhilHealth benefits in the said health care facility,” Gadgad said in an advisory.
Upon receiving the three-month suspension, Benguet officials have appealed to PhilHealth to defer it, as they claimed many patients in the province rely on PhilHealth.
The PhilHealth Board of Directors has considered the appeal but the suspension was still implemented this year and it caused a reduction of patients.
Benguet Rep. Eric Yap earlier sourced out P80 million medical assistance funds from the Department of Health to help indigent patients at the hospital.
The Office of the Congressman has also set up a desk at the BeGH for indigent patients to avail the Medical Assistance to Indigent Patients (MAIP). 
Yap said the help desk prioritizes residents from the province for them to get the medical assistance they needed.
Gov. Melchor Diclas said BeGH not only caters to the people of Benguet, but also those from Mountain Province, Ifugao and Region 1.
Diclas said the hospital remains open to everyone who needs medical assistance but he said they also encourage referrals of non-Benguet residents to hospitals in their home provinces as BeGH was established to primarily serve those within the province. – Ofelia C. Empian