The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has approved its first-ever preventive oral health care benefit package, offering dental services to members starting 2025.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa announced the inclusion of dental care in the nation’s health benefits package as the nation joins the first World Health Organization Global Oral Health Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.
The benefit provides an annual coverage of ₱1,000 per member for preventive oral care services through PhilHealth’s state health insurance program.
The package allocates ₱300 for an initial visit, which includes a mouth examination, oral cleaning, and fluoride varnish application.
A second visit, scheduled at least four months after the first, also costs ₱300 and offers the same services.
Additionally, members can claim ₱200 per tooth for pit and fissure sealant or Class V dental procedures, with a maximum of two teeth covered annually.
Extractions are not included in the benefit package, according to Department of Health Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo.
The new benefit will be available in primary care facilities such as Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Services (BUCAS) centers and rural health units.
A circular detailing the guidelines and payment mechanism for the oral health package is currently being drafted and is expected to be released in December.
PhilHealth aims to roll out the dental services benefit in the first quarter of 2025, providing improved access to oral health care for Filipinos nationwide.