PhilHealth Assures Members Mammogram, Breast and Liver Ultrasound Remain Covered Even as YAKAP Clinics No Longer Need To Offer Them
PHILHEALTH CANCER SCREENING 2026 – Worried that you can no longer get a free mammogram or ultrasound through PhilHealth? The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) said members will still be covered for these cancer screening tests, even after it changed the accreditation rules for Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) clinics for 2027.
In an advisory on Friday, November 13, 2026, the state health insurer said there will be no changes in the coverage of mammogram as well as breast and liver ultrasound, The Manila Times reported. “Member access to these benefits are not affected,” PhilHealth said.
What Changed for YAKAP Clinics
The clarification came after PhilHealth released Advisory No. 2026-0058, signed by Acting President and CEO Beverly Lorraine C. Ho on October 22, 2026. Here are the key points:
- Under the older PhilHealth Circular No. 2024-0013, YAKAP clinics (formerly Konsulta Package Providers) would have been required to offer mammogram and ultrasound services starting January 1, 2027 as a condition for accreditation.
- With the new advisory, YAKAP clinics are no longer required to provide these services, either directly or through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) or Service Level Agreement (SLA), for calendar year 2027.
- YAKAP clinics may still enter into SLAs for other covered laboratory and diagnostic services.
- Stand-alone cancer screening facilities may be accredited if they meet the requirements and have the eClaims platform for submitting claims.
- PhilHealth will release a separate advisory on moving 21 drugs previously covered under YAKAP to the GAMOT benefit package for 2027.
According to Manila Standard, PhilHealth explained that these tests no longer need to be part of the YAKAP clinic requirements because they are already paid for under a separate cancer screening benefit package.
PhilHealth Cancer Screening Package Rates
The separate package is covered by PhilHealth Circular No. 2025-0014, which sets fixed package rates for selected outpatient cancer screening tests done in PhilHealth-accredited cancer screening facilities:
| Screening Test | Package Rate |
|---|---|
| Mammogram (breast cancer) | ₱2,610 |
| Breast Ultrasound (breast cancer) | ₱1,350 |
| Low-Dose Chest CT Scan (lung cancer) | ₱7,220 |
| Alpha Fetoprotein (liver cancer) | ₱1,230 |
| Liver Ultrasound (liver cancer) | ₱960 |
| Screening Colonoscopy (colorectal cancer) | ₱23,640 |
Based on the circular, PhilHealth pays the facility the fixed rate whether the actual charges are higher or lower. It also states that there shall be no co-payment and no balance billing for all PhilHealth beneficiaries in both public and private facilities. Patients with breast symptoms such as a lump, pain or nipple discharge are also covered under the package.
How To Avail of PhilHealth Cancer Screening
Based on PhilHealth’s advisory and circular, here are the steps members can follow:
- Visit your registered YAKAP clinic or a PhilHealth-accredited primary care physician for an assessment.
- The doctor will recommend and request the appropriate screening test based on your clinical assessment and current standards of care.
- If needed, you will be referred to a PhilHealth-accredited cancer screening facility that can perform the test.
- Undergo the test at the accredited facility, which will file the claim with PhilHealth.
“Members may visit their YAKAP Clinic and, if needed, be referred to a PhilHealth-accredited cancer screening facility,” PhilHealth said in its advisory, as quoted by The Daily Chronicle.
For questions about cancer screening benefits and accredited facilities, members may call the PhilHealth 24/7 Corporate Action Center at (02) 8662-2588 or visit the official PhilHealth website.
Have you tried availing of PhilHealth’s free cancer screening? Have you heard about the PhilHealth YAKAP target of 60 million beneficiaries by end-2027?
