Indigent families to enjoy PhilHealth benefits

More than 7,000 indigent families in Cebu City will enjoy the medical benefits provided by the National Health Insurance Program.

This after the city council approved during last Wednesday's session a resolution proposed by Councilor Eugenio Faelnar authorizing Mayor Tomas Osmeña to enter into a memorandum of agreement between the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and the Senate of the Philippines.

Under the said MOA, the city government shall allocate a P4.2 million counterpart for the enrollment of the city's 7,000 indigent families to the program.

NHIP is the compulsory health insurance program of the government instituted under Republic Act 7879 which aims to implement a universal health insurance system and to provide universal access to affordable, acceptable, efficient and effective health care services for all citizens of the Philippines.

Furthermore, under the program, the beneficiaries shall be provided with primary consultations and diagnostic services, chest x-rays, complete blood count, fecalysis, urinalysis and sputum microscopy.

As to the sharing of premium contributions, an annual premium of P1,200 per household/family shall be shared by the LGU, through the allocated amount from the Senate and PhilHealth.

For indigent families in cities and in the first up to third class municipalities, the sharing would be 50-50 by the LGUs and PhilHealth from the first 10 years.

For indigent families in the fourth up to the sixth class municipalities, the sharing of premiums would be 90 percent from the LGU and 10 percent from PhilHealth for the first two years and will eventually be a 50-50 sharing scheme on the 10th year. -Mitchelle P. Calipayan