Philhealth will not pay for your 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Caesarean procedure

I received an email regarding this through my Yahoo group, Newlyweds at Work and I quote:

Last August 5, 2011, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or Philhealth passed a circular to all health care providers, members and hospitals stating the new guidelines for certain surgical procedures.

Included in that circular is the new Caesarean Section Package.

The memo states: "Elective Caesarean sections (e.g. CS per patient request) including repeat cesarean sections performed without indication shall not be reimbursed by the Corporation."

Read more here.

Having given birth via Caesarean Section for my first pregnancy, this news isn't so great. Given the high costs of hospital facilities and doctors' professional fees, the reimbursement of Philhealth for a mother's delivery is much appreciated and expected. When I gave birth October of 2010, we were able to reimburse PhP 13,000 from Philhealth lowering down my final hospital bill from PhP 89,000 to PhP 76,000. We were able to allot the reimbursement that we got to other baby needs like formula, diapers and clothes.

I am really hoping that they make the necessary revisions on this new regulation. I know it is possible to have a VBAC or Vaginal Birth After Caesarean but it still carries many risks to the mother and to the child. Many attempts to have VBAC still end up having a CS delivery anyway.

This isn't about convenience, which also was not the case why I had a CS delivery on my first child, this is a matter of choosing the safest possible way of bringing another child into the world.

If I would give birth again, I'd rather go the safe route and undergo a CS delivery again than attempt to have a VBAC and risk my life and my child's life along the way.