Following the move by President Rodrigo Duterte to certify the universal health coverage bill as urgent, AGRI Party-list Secretary General Benjie Martinez is urging Senate to pass its counterpart version soon.
The lower chamber passed House Bill No. 5784, or the Universal Health Coverage bill, in September last year.
The proposed legislation seeks the automatic inclusion of all Filipinos in the National Health Insurance Program of the Philippines Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
“The passage of the UHC bill will assure our fellow Filipinos that the government is their partner in their aspirations for a better, healthier state of living,” Martinez said.
Martinez said that many Filipinos with low incomes, especially farmers, are concerned regarding the high costs of medical care in the country. “The UHC’s enactment will give them peace of mind,” he added.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show that spending on health has increased for every Filipino from P5,840 in 2015 to P6,345 in 2016.
In the same year, household out-of-pocket payments rose to 54.2 percent of the total medical bill, or P342 billion, while only 34.2 percent or P216 billion was covered by the government. Voluntary health care payment schemes, meanwhile, accounted for 11.6 percent or P73 billion.
“AGRI Party-list is among the authors of the UHC bill, in keeping with our advocacy of fighting for measures that will not only improve the agriculture sector, but also provide support to farmers and fisherfolk in their day-to-day living.”
According to Martinez, reducing the out-of-the pocket expenses for health needs “will greatly benefit vulnerable sectors like farmers, fisherfolk, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens who consistently belong to the poorest sectors of society.”
“AGRI Party-list is among the authors of the UHC bill, in keeping with our advocacy of fighting for measures that will not only improve the agriculture sector, but also provide support to farmers and fisherfolk in their day-to-day living,” stressed Martinez.
Under the House version, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation will be reconstituted into the Philippine Health Security Corporation and will become the national purchaser of health services.
It authorizes Department of Health (DOH)-retained hospitals, specialty hospitals, and hospitals run by local government units to retain and utilize 100 percent of their income to enhance their capacity and improve the quality of their services.
“Many Filipinos with low incomes, especially farmers, are concerned regarding the high costs of medical care in the country. The UHC’s enactment will give them peace of mind.”
The UHC bill also provides for a clear delineation of functions of agencies and sectors involved in health services, which is seen to help address the fragmentation of the present health system in the country.
