HMOs warned vs discrimination on senior citizens

MANILA, Philippines - Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo is asking the Insurance Commission (IC) to penalize private health-maintenance organizations (HMOs) that discriminate against the country’s more than six million senior citizens. 

Romulo filed House Bill 6348 – the proposed Anti-Healthcare Age Discrimination Act – which imposes administrative fines of up to P300,000 on HMOs that refuse to sign up individuals who are 60 years old and above.

 The bill also entitles every senior citizen “to moral and exemplary damages” in the event he or she is denied HMO coverage. 

Several HMOs unjustly impose an age ceiling that automatically disqualifies individuals who are 60 years old and above, according to Romulo. 

Other HMOs just refuse to renew the coverage of planholders when they reach 60 years old, he said. 

“This constitutes strong age discrimination, which is totally unfair and simply unacceptable,” Romulo said. 

The lawmaker invoked Section 11, Article 13 of the Constitution, which mandates the state to make essential healthcare services available to all, especially the elderly, at affordable cost.  

HMOs provide prepaid health insurance plans to enrolled members through a network of contracted hospitals and doctors. 

There are 23 HMOs doing business in the country, and together they now have more than four million planholders. 

Just last month, President Aquino issued Executive Order 192, which transferred the supervision and regulation of HMOs to the IC from the Department of Health.