Aware of the expensive hospital care a severe COVID-19 case can cost a patient, Quezon City Councilor Karl Castelo is appealing to Novaliches residents to apply for PhilHealth membership and get insurance protection.
Castelo said the protection offered by the state health insurer ‘is definite and has saved many Filipinos from financial distress amid the continuing onslaught of the pandemic.
“They should be convinced to get PhilHealth now before it is too late.”
“As real as the threat of the killer virus, the help promised by PhilHealth when one is hospitalized for COVID-19 is also substantially enough to provide relief for cash-strapped patients,” the mutli-awarded councilor explained.
Despite this, Castelo said many Filipinos are still reluctant to become PhilHealth members. “I’m too puzzled and worried over the hesitancy of our people especially the underprivileged to avail of PhilHealth benefits,” he added.
Castelo refuses to believe poor families are too burdened by the ‘incredibly low’ premium for the government health insurance to shy away from a dependable source of financial assistance during hospitalization.
“It’s only a little more than P300 that is asked for when one applies for PhilHealth membership. The amount can easily be raised by saving P10 a day which is usually spent for buying a stick of cigarette. You cut smoking by a stick per day then you get the amount to pay for the premium at the end of the month. Is that so hard?” he said.
He also declined arguments over the documentary requirements for the membership, saying PhilHealth only needs a legitimate identification card and a duly accomplished application form.
Castelo said he is organizing a task force to educate the people on the benefits of getting the services of the national health insurance program.
“A barangay can issue a legitimate ID and it doesn’t take rocket science to fill up the form. So it’s really very, very easy to become a PhilHealth member and say goodbye to phobia on hospital bills,” Castelo said.
Realizing that a renewed information campaign on PhilHealth benefits can solve the problem, Castelo said he is organizing a task force to educate the people on the benefits of getting the services of the national health insurance program.
“They should be convinced to get PhilHealth now before it is too late,” he added.
