Is dialysis free with PhilHealth? The 2026 guide for patients and families
If you or someone you love has just been told, "Kailangan na ng dialysis," one of the first questions is often, "Paano namin ito mababayaran?" "Saan kami kukuha ng pera?"
The good news is that PhilHealth provides substantial financial support for eligible patients receiving treatment at PhilHealth-accredited dialysis facilities, helping ease the heavy economic burden on families.
PhilHealth covers hemodialysis at accredited facilities with a massive case rate of ₱6,350 per session, for up to 156 sessions per year, equivalent to the standard schedule of three dialysis sessions per week. This landmark adjustment was institutionalized to ensure comprehensive care without placing a heavy financial strain on patients.
The numbers:
3 sessions per week × 52 weeks = 156 sessions
156 sessions × ₱6,350 = ₱990,600 in PhilHealth benefits each year
At a PhilHealth-accredited dialysis clinic whose treatment fee is fully covered by the case rate, patients generally do not pay out of pocket for the dialysis session itself. The clinic processes the PhilHealth claims directly, making treatment more accessible and allowing patients to focus on their health instead of the paperwork.
What is actually included in your session?
Because of PhilHealth’s expanded ₱6,350 case rate package, the minimum standard of care is fully bundled into the coverage. At Kidney Recovery Center (KRC), your covered session means you do not pay extra out-of-pocket for:
Intra-dialytic Medications: Essential medications given during your treatment to keep you stable. This includes your Epoetin Alfa / Recormon to prevent severe anemia, Heparin to prevent blood clotting in the machine, and Iron Sucrose (usually given as 1 ampule per treatment for a 10-day consecutive course).
Routine Laboratory Tests: Your critical, recurring blood panels are bundled directly into the package. This covers your monthly CBC, Creatinine, BUN, Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), and Phosphorus (Ph), your quarterly Albumin (every 3 months), and your Hepatitis Profile (every 6 months), plus Iron studies when ordered by your doctor.
What PhilHealth does NOT cover?
This is the part most pages skip, and it's exactly why families get surprised later. Honesty first:
Take-Home Maintenance Medicines: PhilHealth covers what enters your body inside the clinic during treatment. According to updates reported by the Inquirer, it does not cover your daily prescription pills taken at home. You will still need to purchase your own calcium tablets, sodium bicarbonate tablets, anti-hypertension drugs, anticoagulants, ferrous sulfate, and vitamins.
Sessions Beyond 156 a Year: Rare on a standard schedule, but if your doctor requires extra sessions beyond the yearly 156-session limit, those additional treatments must be paid out-of-pocket or via separate assistance programs, as mandated under PhilHealth Circular No. 2024-0023.
Around Imus, there's help for the out-of-pocket lab parts that fall outside routine bundles: Kidney Recovery Center's sister company is LabXpert Medical and Diagnostic Center. KRC founding patients get 25% off all laboratory tests there, with 10% off for their dependents. Over a year of extra medical monitoring, that's real money kept in the family.
The Documents to Prepare
Gather these before your first session and the paperwork side becomes painless:
General Requirements:
Referral Letter / Endorsement Letter from Nephrologist (or Discharge Summary / Medical Abstract)
Hemodialysis Treatment Order (HD Prescription)
Latest Laboratory Result (1 month validity)
Hepatitis Profile, HBSAG, ANTI-HCV, ANTI-HBS (3 months validity)
Copy of Last 3 Hemodialysis Treatment Sheets.
Latest Chest X-ray Result (at least 3 months)
Proof of any vaccination record (if any).
1x1 latest ID picture
1Photocopy of any GOV'T ID
Senior Citizen ID/PWD ID (if applicable)
PhilHealth Requirements:
Updated PhilHealth Member Data Record (MDR): To confirm your current membership category and active status.
PhilHealth Dialysis Database (PDD) Registration Certificate (if applicable): Chronic kidney disease patients must be enrolled by the facility into the official PhilHealth Dialysis Database (PDD) to successfully track and activate their 156-session yearly benefit Guidelines for Nephrologists Before Signing the Philhealth Claim Forms (CSF) of Dialysis Patients - Philippine Society of Nephrology.
PHIC Benefit Consumption Tracking: You do not need to manually compute this, the clinic verifies your remaining sessions electronically via PhilHealth's online portal PhilHealth to HCIs: Switch to eClaims.
PHIC Contribution / Proof of Payment: To ensure there are no gaps in your healthcare coverage.
Claim Signature Form (CSF) (if applicable): This mandatory document is needed by facilities to process your treatment claims Guidelines for Nephrologists Before Signing the Philhealth Claim Forms (CSF) of Dialysis Patients - Philippine Society of Nephrology. If you are an employed member, your employer must fill out the certification portion of the PhilHealth CSF to prove active premium payments Csf philhealth: Fill out & sign online | DocHub.
Not sure about your membership status? Visit any PhilHealth office to check or reactivate. Dialysis patients get priority processing in many branches. Do this before treatment starts, not after.
FAQ's
"What if I'm a dependent, not the member?"
Qualified dependents (a spouse, children, or parents, depending on the member's status) can use the member's benefits for dialysis. You'll need the member's MDR and valid IDs for both the member and the patient. If your family situation is complicated, ask; that's what clinic staff are for.
"Does the clinic handle the PhilHealth paperwork?"
At an accredited facility, yes. You bring the documents once, and the clinic files claims with PhilHealth for every session, the same way hospitals do. At KRC, PhilHealth assistance is part of the service: our staff reviews your papers before opening day so your coverage is ready before your first session is.
One honest note about dialysis itself
Since we promised honesty: dialysis does not cure kidney disease. No clinic, supplement, or herbal drink can honestly promise that. What dialysis does is take over the kidneys' cleaning work, and done regularly and safely, it's what helps you feel better, stay stable, and keep living your life. Knowing the truth beats chasing miracle cures that delay real treatment.
What to do next
If you're in Imus or nearby Cavite, Kidney Recovery Center opens soon: a 12-chair, PhilHealth-accredited hemodialysis clinic on Gen. Padua St., Bayan Luma IV. Join the opening waitlist below and two things happen right away:
The complete requirements checklist arrives on your phone and email today, so you can start preparing now.
You get one text the day we open, before anyone else, so you can book your schedule first.
