The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in pursuit of its commitment to expand benefit to its members and dependents shall accredit Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse (DOTS) facilities as providers of the outpatient DOTS package. The following are the guidelines for the accreditation of these facilities:

1. DOTS facilities may be, but not limited to, the following: hospital-based clinics, HMO, LGU Health Units, factory clinics, church-based clinics, and school clinics.
   
   
2. Accreditation shall be based on standards developed by the Corporation in consultation with stakeholders. (Please refer to the annexes^* for the Standards for Accreditation, Application Form & Checklist).
   
   
3. A center that has no capability to provide diagnostic laboratory services should have an affiliated microscopy center that has acquired quality assurance certification from the National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) of the Department of Health. The facility shall ensure quality from the affiliated microscopy center. If the affiliated microscopy center is found to be substandard, the DOTS center counterpart shall lose its accreditation.
   
   
4. The DOTS Center should also be able to refer patients needing radiologic services to a PhilHealth accredited facility.
   
   
5. Likewise, PhilHealth should duly accredit physicians rendering consultation services in a DOTS Center.
   
   
6. The Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis (PhilCAT) shall certify the capability of a facility as a provider of TB-DOTS services. A PhilCAT Certification shall ensure that the training and technical capabilities of a DOTS Center are appropriate.
   
   
7. Currently accredited health care facilities (Hospitals, Rural Health Units and Ambulatory Surgical Clinics) shall also be allowed to provide DOTS care; provided, that they apply for a separate accreditation for this services and fulfill all the requirements stated in this Circular. However, no additional fee shall be imposed on such facilities for their accreditation as providers of the DOTS package.

This Circular shall take effect immediately.

Please be guided accordingly.

Adopted: 18 March 2003

(SGD.) FRANCISCO T. DUQUE III, MD, MSc
President and CEO

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^* Text Available at Office of the National Administrative Register, U.P. Law Complex, Diliman, Quezon City