In September 2026, my mother’s creatinine shot up and she was passing very little urine. Her doctors said she needed dialysis. We took her to a private hospital on September 19, and she had two sessions there. Thankfully, her kidney numbers came back to normal, and the doctors stopped the dialysis.
I am Liz, and I was in Dubai through all of it. PhilHealth covered the two dialysis sessions; the hospital had us sign forms for them. Here is the part I did not expect. PhilHealth did not cover the rest of her private hospital bill, because she was later transferred to a government hospital. As of this writing, she is still recovering there and slowly getting her strength back.
This guide has two halves. The first explains PhilHealth dialysis coverage for patients who need it long term, using PhilHealth’s own circulars. The second covers what our family learned the hard way: the transfer, the assistance programs, the doctors’ fees nobody covered, and a hospital that would not release her until we paid.
How much does PhilHealth pay for hemodialysis?
PhilHealth pays ₱6,350 per hemodialysis session, for up to 156 sessions a year. That adds up to ₱990,600 a year per patient. The rate took effect on October 9, 2024, under PhilHealth Circular 2024-0023. It covers patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD5). The patient must also be in the PhilHealth Dialysis Database.
- Rate per session: ₱6,350, up from ₱4,000 earlier in 2024 and ₱2,600 before that
- Sessions per year: 156, which is three sessions a week for 52 weeks
- Yearly total: up to ₱990,600
- Who qualifies: CKD5 patients in the PhilHealth Dialysis Database
- Where: PhilHealth-accredited hemodialysis facilities, government or private
PhilHealth says the ₱6,350 should cover a patient’s full cost for a session. It based the rate on a nationwide costing survey of public and private dialysis facilities. The earlier ₱4,000 rate still left patients paying out of pocket, so PhilHealth raised it again.
In practice, the dialysis center files the claim for each session. Before the first session, make sure the patient is a registered member or dependent, and check that the record is correct. Our guide on how to know if you are eligible for PhilHealth benefits covers that check.
What does the ₱6,350 per session cover?
The package covers what a patient needs for each session, based on the nephrologist’s prescription. PhilHealth’s Q&A on the circular lists these:
- Medicines: erythropoietin for anemia (50 to 100 units per kg, three times a week), iron sucrose, and heparin during the session
- Monthly lab tests: CBC, BUN before and after dialysis, creatinine, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and sodium
- Less frequent tests: albumin every 3 months, a hepatitis profile every 6 months, and iron studies as needed
- Supplies: up to 32 dialyzers a year (each reusable up to 5 times), dialysis solutions, and one dialysis kit per session
- Facility costs: the dialysis machine, utilities and staff time
Not every item is given at every session, though. If the nephrologist did not prescribe it, the patient should not get it or ask for it. A center without its own lab may send the tests to a partner facility. Even then, you should not pay for those tests.
Can the dialysis center charge you extra?
Not for covered services. The PhilHealth dialysis rules include a “no co-payment” policy that applies to government and private dialysis centers alike. As a result, the center cannot charge you for anything inside the package. It can only charge for services outside it.
The nephrologist is a separate case. The circular lets the nephrologist charge at most ₱450 for extra services, such as telemedicine or care for complications during dialysis. Every extra must appear in the PhilHealth Hemodialysis Benefits Package Agreement Form. The patient signs this form at every session, with or without extras.
Here is what the center may charge you for:
- Erythropoietin beyond the standard dose
- Premium options such as hemodiafiltration (HDF), other treatment types, or a private room
- Lab tests outside the package, such as AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase or parathyroid hormone
- Dialyzers beyond 32 in a calendar year
- Sessions beyond 156 in a calendar year
So read the agreement form before signing it each time. If it shows a charge for something inside the package, ask the center to explain. You can also report it to PhilHealth’s hotline, (02) 8662-2588.
What if the patient gets admitted while on dialysis?
A hospital stay does not use up the 156 sessions. Say a CKD5 patient on dialysis gets confined for another illness or a surgery. According to PhilHealth’s Q&A, the hospital can then claim the dialysis session alongside the admission. In other words, the dialysis and the confinement are two separate claims.
The confinement itself follows PhilHealth’s case rates. If you are choosing a hospital, see how much PhilHealth covers in private vs. public hospitals. Do you also have an HMO card? Then read how to use PhilHealth and HMO together.
What about peritoneal dialysis at home?
Peritoneal dialysis (PD), done at home with bags of dialysis solution, has its own PhilHealth package under the Z benefits. Since January 1, 2025, the adult package pays ₱389,640 or ₱510,140 a year, depending on the PD solutions the patient needs. Children have separate, higher packages.
PhilHealth also pays for care to prevent exit site infection and peritonitis. However, Z benefits follow their own process, including approval before treatment starts. Our guide to the PhilHealth Z benefit package explains the steps.
What happened to us: dialysis, then a transfer
My mother stayed about a week at the private hospital, from September 19. She was in the ICU there. Then her doctors moved her to a government hospital for continued care. The two dialysis sessions went through PhilHealth. However, the rest of the bill for her confinement had no PhilHealth deduction. Billing told us that because of the transfer, the next hospital would apply PhilHealth instead.
PhilHealth’s rules on this are technical. A 2025 circular says PhilHealth pays for patients who move to another facility for continued care under its referral rules. In our case, that meant the receiving hospital would apply PhilHealth to her confinement, and the first hospital’s confinement bill stayed whole. For our family, it was a heavy surprise at the worst time.
So if a transfer is even possible, ask billing on day one. Which hospital will apply PhilHealth? What happens to this hospital’s bill if the patient moves? Also ask what transfer papers PhilHealth needs, such as a referral form. Make sure they are complete before the move.
AICS and MAIFIP: what they asked for and what they did not cover
We went to three offices for help with the private hospital bill: DSWD, the DOH and our local municipality. Two programs helped with the hospital bill itself. The first was AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation) from DSWD. The second was MAIFIP (Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients), the DOH’s medical assistance program.
Both asked for the same three papers:
- A medical abstract from the hospital
- A medical certificate signed by the doctor
- The final billing statement
They then issued guarantee letters, which went straight to the hospital’s billing office. However, the letters covered only the hospital bill, not the doctors’ professional fees. The offices told us the doctors do not accept guarantee letters.
How we paid the doctors
Our municipality gave its help in cash, so that went to the doctors’ fees. I put the rest on my credit card, and I am still paying it in installments from Dubai. If you are in the same spot, ask each doctor early how much the professional fee is so far. You can also ask the hospital’s social worker whether any program can include it.
The hospital would not release her until we paid in full
The private hospital also would not process my mother’s discharge and release until the bill was fully paid. So the assistance, the cash and the credit card all had to come together before she could move. At the time, we did not know there is a law on this.
Republic Act 9439 bans hospitals and clinics from detaining patients over unpaid bills when the patient has fully or partially recovered or has been adequately attended to. Such a patient who cannot pay may leave by signing a promissory note for the balance. The note needs either a mortgage or a co-maker who shares the debt. However, the law does not cover patients who stayed in private rooms.
I am not saying our hospital broke this law, because a transfer for continued care is not a simple discharge. Still, if you face the same wall, ask the hospital’s social worker or billing office about a promissory note under RA 9439.
Many DOH hospitals and some other public hospitals also have a Malasakit Center. It brings PhilHealth, DSWD, DOH and PCSO help into one office, so you do not have to go from building to building. If the hospital has one, start there.
Government or private hospital in an emergency?
We chose the private hospital to lower the risk. My mother’s situation was an emergency, and government hospitals are often packed. Looking back, though, starting at a government hospital would have been better for us, because that is where she ended up anyway.
I would not turn this into a rule for everyone. In a real emergency, the nearest capable ER comes first. Still, it helps to know your options before anything happens. Which accredited government hospitals are near your parents? Does the private hospital nearby have a dialysis unit? If your parents keep a doctor for their kidneys, YAKAP’s free tests include creatinine; see our PhilHealth YAKAP guide.
Questions to ask when a family member is hospitalized
These are the questions I would want my family to ask, sorted by who to ask. Under each, I added what the rules say.
1. Hospital billing: “My mother has received dialysis here and may be transferred. Which charges has PhilHealth covered so far, what balance remains, and which hospital will process the next claim?”
What the rules say: transfers for continued care follow PhilHealth’s referral rules. The facility, not the family, files the claim. Get the answer before the transfer.
2. The PhilHealth desk: “Which PhilHealth benefit applies to my mother’s admission and dialysis? How much of it has been used?”
What the rules say: for a CKD5 patient, each session counts against the 156 a year. Dialysis during a confinement is a separate claim.
3. Social service or the Malasakit Center: “What financial help can we apply for, what documents do you need, and can it cover what PhilHealth does not?”
What we were asked for: a medical abstract, a medical certificate and the final billing statement.
4. The attending doctor and billing: “If my mother needs more treatment or another transfer, what hospital and professional fees should we prepare for, and which ones will PhilHealth cover?”
What we learned: guarantee letters may not cover professional fees. Ask the doctors early.
Before you go, keep the patient’s PhilHealth papers ready. That means a current PhilHealth MDR and the documents in our PhilHealth claim documents checklist. If the patient is your dependent, confirm it in our guide to PhilHealth qualified dependents. For anything else, use the contact details on the PhilHealth website.
FAQ: PhilHealth dialysis
How many dialysis sessions does PhilHealth cover?
PhilHealth covers up to 156 hemodialysis sessions a year at ₱6,350 per session, or up to ₱990,600 a year. This applies to patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease registered in the PhilHealth Dialysis Database. Sessions beyond 156 in a calendar year are not covered.
Is dialysis free with PhilHealth?
Covered services should be. PhilHealth’s no co-payment policy applies at government and private dialysis centers, so the center cannot charge for anything inside the package. The nephrologist may charge up to ₱450 for extra services. The center may also charge for extras such as more erythropoietin, hemodiafiltration, extra lab tests or a private room.
Does a hospital admission use up my dialysis sessions?
No. The hospital can claim each dialysis session alongside the admission, even when a CKD5 patient is confined for another illness. The dialysis and the confinement are separate claims.
Does PhilHealth cover peritoneal dialysis?
Yes, through the Z benefits. Since January 1, 2025, the adult package pays ₱389,640 or ₱510,140 a year, depending on the dialysis solutions needed. Children have separate packages. Z benefits need approval before treatment starts.
Can AICS or MAIFIP pay for dialysis in a hospital?
They did in our family’s case in September 2026. AICS from DSWD and MAIFIP from the DOH issued guarantee letters for the private hospital bill. We submitted a medical abstract, a medical certificate and the final billing statement. The letters did not cover the doctors’ professional fees, so ask the doctors and the hospital social worker about those early.
Don’t wait for the emergency
PhilHealth dialysis coverage is generous for patients on long-term hemodialysis. Still, an emergency with a transfer can leave a bill PhilHealth never touches. The answers come from billing, the PhilHealth desk and the social service office. The earlier you ask, the more choices you have.
If you’re an OFW supporting your parents back home, don’t wait for a medical emergency to find out what PhilHealth can cover. From our experience with my mother’s dialysis, I learned how important it is to ask the hospital about PhilHealth benefits, the remaining bill, and available financial assistance. That way, your family knows what to expect when every decision matters. If a parent has missed contributions, read what happens if PhilHealth contributions lapse before anything happens.
