Five months in, PhilHealth's YAKAP may need greater momentum
In October, a team of doctors from PhilHealth's YAKAP (Yaman ng Kalusugan Program) visited the office of Arlene L. Tayamora's husband. They registered employees for the program and conducted medical check-ups. The husband took the opportunity to register Tayamora, as well, and the process was smooth and quick.
Tayamora's husband, who is diabetic, then went to a GAMOT facility in Festival Mall to fill his prescription. The pharmacist gave him a box of medication for the management of type 2 diabetes.
"Ako naman, nagpa-check-up sa YAKAP clinic sa isang ospital sa Santa Rosa," Tayamora told PhilSTAR L!fe.
A heart patient who's had an angioplasty, Tayamora needs to undergo a chemistry panel, or a blood chemistry test, every three months. At the YAKAP clinic, she underwent a check-up, where the doctor prescribed a comprehensive lab test.
"Kung sa private hospital, aabutin ng mga P12,000 'yung lab tests pati 'yung mga gamot. Pero ang binayad ko lang, P900; 'yung hindi sakop ng YAKAP," Tayamora said.
An enhanced version of its predecessor, Konsulta, YAKAP focuses on promoting preventive and primary care by making essential healthcare services generally more accessible. The program covers all Philhealth members and dependents, including infants and indigents, and does not require payment of a premium.
In contrast, Niña Rivero and her husband had a less fruitful experience with the program.
They went to a YAKAP clinic in Pacita, San Pedro, Laguna hoping to avail of the program's free medical check-up. Rivero needed to see a cardiologist; her husband, an EENT.
But because their medical needs didn't fall under the scope of a general check-up, they couldn't immediately be seen by doctors. The person at the facility told them they would have to be referred to specialists, who would be charging a consultation fee.
"Inisip ko na lang po, ituloy kahit irerefer po kami. Hinahabol ko na lang po 'yung free meds na makukuha sa YAKAP," Rivero told L!fe.
However, the facility told Rivero their YAKAP program hours are only every Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. Queues were kilometric every time Rivero and her husband went. They first tried to get a check-up in August. When L!fe spoke to them in December, they had yet to be seen by any doctor.
"Sabi po nila magme-message po sila kung kelan po kami magpapa-checkup. It's four months na po. Wala pa po message sa 'kin," she added.
It has been roughly five months since PhilHealth's YAKAP was launched, but it's still generally a hit or miss.
To find out how it works for ourselves, L!fe also registered for YAKAP. It took two days of repeated attempts to register through the eGovPH app, but for some reason, the registration kept either hanging or getting disapproved "due to incomplete or inaccurate information."
Registering at a Philhealth satellite office in a major mall in the south was easier. We were able to register and pick a YAKAP clinic within 20 minutes.
Unlike the facility where Rivero and her husband went, the clinic L!fe registered at ran the program for eight hours Monday through Friday, starting at 8:30 a.m. We went at 7:30 a.m., and there were already 22 people queued up.
After three hours, we got a prescription for vitamins, specifically, folic acid; everything else checked out health-wise. Unfortunately, all three GAMOT facilities we went to in Southern Luzon said they had run out of the prescribed vitamins and could not explain why.
L!fe reached out to PhilHealth for an explanation but has yet to hear back.
What to know about YAKAP
To start, register with a YAKAP clinic via the eGovPH app, PhilHealth member portal, PhilHealth office, or a primary care provider. Then schedule a first patient encounter (FPE) and attend the consultation. General practitioners hand out the necessary prescriptions.
A main component of the program is made up of GAMOT (Guaranteed and accessible medications for outpatient treatment) facilities, i.e., accredited pharmacies. Each patient is entitled to P20,000 worth of medicines per year. Seventy-five essential and preventive medicines are covered by this.
Filipinos can avail these services for free.
Dr. Edwin Mercado, president and CEO of Philhealth, said in an interview with DZMM on Dec. 23, 35 to 40 million Filipinos have signed up to YAKAP clinics, but only 14.5 million have gone for a check-up.
This is still a big number, which may explain why patients have had varying degrees of success in getting seen by a doctor under YAKAP and availing of the free medicines.
A right of every Filipino
"Ito (YAKAP) ay bukas sa lahat ng Pilipino dahil tayo ay may universal healthcare. At lahat ng Pilipino ay miyembro na automatically ng PhilHealth," Mercado said in an interview with DZMM.
Aside from free check-ups and free access to 21 essential and preventive medicines in YAKAP clinics, the program offers several other benefits, all of which are given at no charge:
- Access to 13 common lab tests, including CBC, blood sugar, and creatinine
- Access to 54 maintenance and preventive medicines at GAMOT facilities. Each patient is entitled to P20,000 worth of medicines per year.
- Coverage of six cancer-screening tests: colonoscopy, mammography, liver ultrasound, breast ultrasound, Alpha-Fetoprotein, and pap smear. These will only be prescribed if the doctor sees medical evidence that these are necessary. For instance, a patient who smokes more than 30 packs of cigarettes a year will automatically be ordered to get a chest CT scan.
According to Mercado, PhilHealth is considering adding specialists next year to the team of general practitioners currently conducting check-ups in the YAKAP clinics.
With a massive information campaign, improved waiting times, consistent supply of medicines, and streamlined processes, YAKAP can be a great success.
Learn how to register for YAKAP here.
See the list of medications in the GAMOT list here.
