Presidential Spokesperson Sec. Harry Roque urged the Senate to heed President Rodrigo Duterte’s call to pass its version of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Bill, a measure the Palace spokesman stressed was already passed in September last year by the House of Representatives (HOR).
In a radio interview, Roque––who authored the UHC Bill and was still a member of the House when it passed the measure on third reading––urged the Senate to take its cue from the President, who not only certified the bill as urgent earlier this month, but reiterated his support for the bill in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday.
“The President has sent a clear, loud, and unequivocal message regarding universal healthcare to Congress, and the House has done its part; it’s time for the Senate to do the same,” the former legislator said.
In his SONA, the President acknowledged that “much needs to be done to improve our healthcare system, which remains highly fragmented, resulting in disparity in health outcomes between the rich and the poor in the urban areas and rural.“
To address this, Duterte said it was necessary to “pool all our resources for health services under the [PhilHealth]; institutionalize primary care as a prerequisite to access higher level of healthcare; and supplement human resource gaps of the LGUs through a National Health Workforce Support System.”
“These will ensure that every Filipino family gets the appropriate, affordable, and quality health services in appropriate facilities and will be protected from financial burden due to sickness,” added the President.
“To this end, I urge the speedy passage of the Universal Health Care Bill authored by Former Representative Harry Roque.“
Roque reminded listeners that the measure was a groundbreaking piece of legislation as it would provide health security to all Filipinos even if they cannot afford to pay the premiums.
“This measure is a groundbreaking piece of legislation as it would provide health security to all Filipinos even if they cannot afford to pay the premiums.”
“Napakalaking ginhawa ito para sa bawa’t Pilipino, lalo na ang mga mahihirap. Basta Pilipino ka, obligado ang gobyerno na bigyan ng benepisyo na pangkalusugan; hindi magiging isyu ang kapasidad ninyo magbayad––importante lang ay ipinanganak kang Pilipino,” explained the UP-trained lawyer.
(This is a huge comfort for every Filipino, especially the poor. As long as you are Filipino, the government is obligated to provide health benefits; your capacity to pay will not be an issue––the only important thing is you are born Filipino.)
“As long as you are Filipino, the government is obligated to provide health benefits; your capacity to pay will not be an issue––the only important thing is you are born Filipino.”
Under HB 5784, the version passed by the HOR, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) will be known as the Philippine Health Security Corp. (PHSC) and will be the sole purchaser of health services in the country.
The bill likewise provides for the adoption and institutionalization of a periodic Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and the creation of the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC).
HTA refers to the process of examining or reporting properties of a medical technology used in health care, including safety, efficacy, feasibility, and indications for use; cost-effectiveness; as well as social, economic, and ethical consequences, whether intended or unintended.
The bill mandates the “income retention” of Department of Health (DOH) facilities, which will authorize government hospitals to use their entire income to improve their services.
