State-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. aims to recruit 600 nurses to provide superior “customer care” to members and dependents seeking treatment in accredited hospitals, a press release from the firm said.

Philhealth president and chief executive officer Dr. Eduardo Banzon, said the nurses will be employed as part of the firm's Customer Assistance, Relations and Empowerment Staff.

“The plan is to initially deploy the CARES nurses to all public hospitals, starting with the bigger ones,” Banzon said.

He said the nurses will ensure the stress-free availment of benefits by qualified Philhealth members through spot eligibility checks in the hospital setting.

“We are committed to look after every Philhealth member and his or her qualified dependent,” Banzon said.

He said the CARES nurses will also be tasked to encourage non-members to enlist with Philhealth, and facilitate payment of insurance premiums in the cashiering units of public hospitals.

The Professional Regulation Commission sees the number of totally unemployed Filipino nurses hitting 298,000 this year, to include the 68,000 who took the licensure exam in December 2011, the press release said.*

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