Newly appointed PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Beverly Lorraine C. Ho is urging Filipinos at risk of leptospirosis to use available healthcare benefits under the state insurer’s Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP), which provides access to free consultations and prescribed medicines through accredited providers.
Ho said doxycycline, a prescribed antibiotic used as preventive medicine and treatment for leptospirosis, can be availed through Philippine Health Insurance Corporation‘s Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment (GAMOT) program after consultation with a YAKAP-accredited doctor.
“Under the YAKAP GAMOT program, when your YAKAP doctor prescribes, you can actually avail of chemoprophylaxis (which is) doxycycline from your GAMOT provider,” Ho said during a press conference.
The YAKAP program provides up to ₱20,000 worth of free outpatient medicines and includes consultations needed for patients to secure prescriptions for treatments such as doxycycline. PhilHealth said the program is part of its broader primary healthcare benefits package aimed at expanding access to essential medicines and services.
The push comes as leptospirosis remains a health concern during periods of flooding, when people may be exposed to contaminated floodwaters. The disease can range from mild symptoms to severe infections that may require hospitalization and intensive medical care.
Ho also highlighted expanded PhilHealth coverage for patients who develop moderate to severe cases of leptospirosis. The inpatient benefit package has increased to ₱63,000 from the previous ₱21,450, while more complicated cases requiring treatments such as hemodialysis, mechanical ventilation and pulmonary rehabilitation may receive coverage of up to ₱411,000.
“Of course we don’t want our countrymen to use that because we don’t want their situation to worsen. So, to get the prophylaxis treatment, you can get the medicine through the YAKAP GAMOT,” Ho said.
PhilHealth said nearly 3,000 accredited GAMOT providers nationwide can provide access to outpatient medicines, while thousands of YAKAP clinics are available for consultations and prescriptions related to covered treatments.
