The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) now provides preventive oral health services as part of its primary health services through the Konsulta package.
This update was included in a report by PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Ledesma, Jr. to Senator Christopher “Bong” Go during the first Senate Health Committee hearing in 2025 which the senator presided over as chairperson of the committee.
Senator Go has consistently championed the inclusion of dental care in PhilHealth’s expanded health care benefits. He emphasized that oral health should not be neglected as it is an integral part of Filipinos’ overall well-being.
“Sa bawat pagdinig, paulit-ulit nating ipinaalala na ang Universal Health Care ay hindi kumpleto kung hindi kasama ang oral health. Importante ito, lalo na para sa mga kababayan nating hindi kayang magpabunot o magpagamot ng ngipin,” Senator Go stressed.
He further noted that many poor Filipinos cannot afford dental services.
“Sa mga mahihirap nating kababayan na ayaw na magpa-dentist, gagamit ng sinulid o hihilain na lang (‘yung ngipin nila),” he remarked.
The 2018 National Oral Health Survey revealed that only 57.6% of Filipinos sought dental care, with 48.7% doing so due to toothache. Financial constraints (54.8%), fear (22.8%), and a busy schedule (14.3%) were cited as the main barriers to consultation.
As Chairperson of the Senate Health Committee, Senator Go repeatedly called for reforms to PhilHealth regulations during past hearings. He persistently questioned why comprehensive dental care was excluded from the medical services covered by PhilHealth.
Senator Go’s tireless efforts led to concrete results when PhilHealth released PhilHealth Circular No. 2024-0034, which outlines the benefits of preventive oral health services in primary care. This development was confirmed by PhilHealth Senior Vice President Francis Pargas.
PhilHealth President and CEO Ledesma assured that this new package of essential dental services would be accessible to all PhilHealth members. The services include mouth examinations/oral screenings, dental prophylaxis/cleaning, fluoride varnish application, and pit and fissure sealant application or root surface protection.
“Sulit po ang ating pakikipaglaban dito sa komite, sulit po ang ating pangungulit, kasama po ang iba’t ibang health advocates dahil kahit papaano ay ginagawan na po ng aksyon ng PhilHealth ang mga hinaing na naisiwalat sa sunud-sunod na committee hearings na ating pinamunuan,” Senator Go concluded.
