KPH wants YAKAP accreditation to expand outpatient, medicine benefits for iKalinga patients

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — The Kalinga Provincial Hospital (KPH) is preparing to become a YAKAP-accredited center, which would give qualified patients another access point to PhilHealth-covered outpatient consultations and medicine benefits.

KPH Supervising Administrative Officer Raymond Palicas said the hospital is currently working to meet the accreditation requirements, including securing authorization for physicians who will provide YAKAP services.

Once accredited, the KPH YAKAP center will primarily serve outpatient department (OPD) patients, including beneficiaries who can avail of the program’s GAMOT component, which covers medicines prescribed by accredited YAKAP physicians.

Palicas said the program provides a medicine benefit of up to ₱20,000 per YAKAP beneficiary, subject to the program’s guidelines and list of covered medicines.

“...that’s an opportunity for our patients tayo nga I-ca-cater iti OPD department tayo, ta daytuy gamin yakap program ket more on OPD services ket adda iti component na nga GAMOT,” Palicas said.

He explained that medicines prescribed during a YAKAP consultation may be charged under the GAMOT component and provided through the YAKAP facility’s pharmacy.

KPH has also tasked its team to identify four to five physicians who may be accredited as YAKAP physicians.

Palicas clarified that being a KPH doctor does not automatically qualify a physician to provide YAKAP services. Doctors must separately apply for authorization as YAKAP physicians as part of the hospital’s accreditation requirements.

“Iti kasla ngay nga minimum requirement na for KPH, we need to apply for the accreditation or authorization of a physician as a yakap physician. Haan ngay gayam nga gapu ta doctor ka ket ma authorize ka as a yakap physician, meaning ag apply ka metlang… so diyay nag tasking kamin. Inbaga mi nga ag decide da amongst themselves nu sino iti mai accredit as YAKAP physicians,” he said.

During the October 5 Kapehan meeting, PhilHealth reported that 15 YAKAP centers are currently accredited in Kalinga, including the newly accredited Kalinga Gabriela Mija Kim Medical Center and Tanudan Birthing Facility.

The planned KPH accreditation would add another government hospital-based access point for qualified beneficiaries seeking outpatient care and medicine assistance under the YAKAP program.