Proposing an oral health benefit package under the national health insurance program of the Philippines: International Association for Dental Oral and Craniofacial Research

2024 APR 01 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Alexandria, VA, USA - A study aiming to determine a set of oral health care services to be delivered within the comprehensive outpatient benefit package of the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) of the Philippines was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, USA.

The abstract, “Proposing an Oral Health Benefit Package Under the National Health Insurance Program of the Philippines” was presented during the “Health Services and Health Economics Research” Oral Session that took place on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 2 p.m. Central Standard Time (UTC-6). The study, by Michael Antonio F. Mendoza of the University of the Philippines, Manila, utilized a mixed method design comprising a systematic review of literature, key informant interviews, round table discussions (RTD) and a cost-effectiveness analysis using Markov modelling. A budget impact analysis was also done to compute the theoretical changes in annual expenditure if the program is implemented.

The following oral health care interventions were identified to be included in the benefit package: dental consultation, oral prophylaxis, topical fluoride application, silver diamine fluoride application, dental filling, and tooth extraction. Initial approval of the proposed dental interventions was obtained from participating stakeholders in the RTD. A Markov model using a societal perspective showed that a subsidized package is a cost-effective approach versus the current situation of no subsidy. One-way sensitivity analysis showed that the cost of preventive treatment had the most significant impact on the model. The budget impact analysis showed a 1.63% increase in budget annually with the current situation of no subsidy.

A subsidized oral health package with focus on preventive interventions in the comprehensive outpatient benefits under the NHIP is a cost-effective approach. The benefits package will entail a significant increase in government expenditure during the start of its roll out but will eventually result in a decreasing trend of expenses as the years progress.
Keywords for this news article include: Asia, Dentistry, Health Insurance, Health and Medicine, Insurance Companies, International Association for Dental Oral and Craniofacial Research, Philippines.

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