Senate ratifies bicam report on Universal Health Care Bill

December 10, 2018

The Senate on Monday ratified the bicameral report of the Universal Health Care Bill, which seeks to expand the benefit packages being offered by PhilHealth by increasing the amount of benefits to lessen members' out-0f-pocket expenses.

Senator JV Ejercito, author of the Senate version, said when this measure becomes law, "no Filipino will be left out because... all Filipinos are covered under the national health insurance program."

"I am very optimistic that the President will sign this into law before the year ends so this will be a fitting Christmas for our countrymen," said Ejercito.

Improving benefit packages would entail inclusion of preventive and promotive health services to alleviate chances of confinement and encourage a healthy lifestyle among Filipinos.

As of 2016, 91 percent or 93 million Filipinos are covered by PhilHealth. About half of them are indigents while the rest are composed of paying individuals from both formal and informal economies and lifetime members.

Under the bill, funds from the program will be sourced from the incremental sin tax collections, charity fund from Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), income from the Philippine Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), premium contribution of members, annual appropriations of the Department of Health (DOH), and government subsidy to PhilHealth. DMS