The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth) support for kidney transplant patients applies for a lifetime, the Department of Health (DOH) clarified on Sunday, June 22.
“Post-kidney transplant patients will receive support for life. PhilHealth now offers lifelong support for these patients,” said DOH Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Albert Domingo in an interview with DZMM Teleradyo.
Under PhilHealth’s new benefit packages, patients diagnosed with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) who have undergone kidney transplants will receive over ₱100,000 in monthly financial assistance for pediatric patients, and more than ₱50,000 for adult patients.
Living kidney donors are also eligible to receive ₱1,900 worth of laboratory tests and treatments every six months.
The total financial aid for kidney transplant patients has increased significantly, from an original amount of ₱600,000 to more than ₱2 million under the revised packages.
Domingo described the development as a “game changer,” noting that many patients previously declined transplants due to high maintenance costs—often reaching ₱40,000 to ₱50,000 per month.
He added that PhilHealth’s promise to shoulder the cost “even for life” could encourage more patients to consider transplant procedures.
The expanded kidney transplant package was launched on June 19 at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City.
Domingo also assured that PhilHealth can sustain its financial capability to cover these benefits, citing expert projections.
Despite receiving no government subsidy under the 2025 General Appropriations Act due to its ₱600 billion reserve funds, the state-run insurer reportedly has resources totaling nearly ₱755 billion.
In addition to kidney transplant benefits, PhilHealth also expanded its packages to cover cancer treatment, emergency outpatient services, and preventive oral health services.
