MANILA, Philippines (Updated 2:42 p.m.) — Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Wednesday said that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) would shoulder the testing costs for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in hospitals. P4,000 Referral Package for PUI patients for referral to higher level facility can be availed by referring hospitals. The Referral Package for Patients Under Investigation (PUI) covers patients initially seen in lower level facility but needs referral to a higher level facility for quarantine. BREAKING: Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles says PhilHealth will shoulder the testing costs for COVID-19 in hospitals. Once samples are taken from PUIs, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) runs confirmatory tests for traces of COVID-19.

Source: Philippine Star March 11, 2020 06:15 UTC