Health care is a basic social service that the government continuously strives to support based on a meager budget. Through the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or Philhealth, a government-owned and controlled corporation, members receive financial assistance in case of hospitalization.
But, this benefit has not been fully maximized, especially by poor Filipinos.
As a guest of the Club 888 forum at The Marco Polo Davao last Wednesday, Divine Hilario, health education and promotion officer of the Department of Health (DOH), Center for Health Development in Southern Mindanao, said that only 30 to 40 percent of those hospitalized are Philhealth members.
“We want to cover everybody with the universal health care in three years. This aims to reduce people’s pocket expenses for health. We targeted an increase by 70 to 80 percent of Philhealth members to avail of the benefits,” Hilario said.
The DOH says the universal health care is the centerpiece of the health agenda of President Benigno Aquino who declared in his inaugural speech, “Serbisyong Pangkalusugan, tulad ng Philhealth, para sa lahat sa loob ng tatlong taon (health services, such as Philhealth, for all within three years).”
It is a fact that only a few are able to sustain their membership in the Philhealth. Some indigents are sponsored by politicians. In region 11 there are 250,000 enrolled in this category, according to Filbert Bryan L. Sollesta, division chief of the field operations division of the Philhealth regional office.
But the problem is that politicians cannot maintain their enrolment, he said. To complete the universal health care in three years, the government urges the self-employed or informal sector to enroll in Philhealth as individually paying members.
Hilario said the government will pay for the premium of 46,000 indigents who will be identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the National Household Targeting System-Proxy Means Test (NHTS-PMT).
The DSWD has reported 4.1 million Filipinos as “true indigents” who desperately need access to quality health care.
On October 2, there will be a nationwide Philhealth registration day at designated areas. This activity aims to increase public awareness regarding Philhealth entitlements and responsibilities, enjoin enrolment of the informal sector and enroll poor families or indigents.
Those in the informal sector who will enroll in Philhealth will be required a contribution of at least P300 per quarter or P1,200 for a year’s payment at any accredited collecting partners nearest them.
All qualified “true indigent” Filipinos nationwide will be registered and their annual premiums will be shouldered by national or local government unit (LGU) and other sponsors to pay in behalf of the LGU.
The DOH is looking forward to the full implementation of the Excise Tax Law on tobacco and alcohol, subject to adjustment every two years from 2005 to 2011 which can be used to subsidize premiums of the true indigents. [Lorie Ann A. Cascaro]
