Philhealth to grant lower rates for premiums of Talisay's poor

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation is granting an enrollment of discounted premium rates to poor residents of Talisay City.

William Chavez, assistant vice president of the PhilHealth regional office, proposed to Mayor Socrates Fernandez a memorandum of agreement that would give a reduced premium rate to poor residents of the city.

Under the arrangement, the annual premium rate per household would be discounted by 20 percent or only P480 instead of the usual P600, and the Philhealth Capitalization Fund for the outpatient's benefits would be reduced to P240 per household instead of P300.

In 2004, about 7,237 indigent households were enrolled in Talisay City under the Enhanced Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Greater Medicare Access Program. But Chavez said Philhealth would renew only 4,118 households.

PhilHealth recently declared that it would release the PhilHealth Family Health ID cards under the "Enhanced Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office-Greater Medicare Access Program.

The Enhanced PCSO-Greater Medicare Access Program entitles the indigent household head and his/her qualified dependents free Medicare coverage for one year but with certain conditions.

Chavez advised the city government to submit the required Family Data Survey Forms (FDSs) of intended beneficiaries to enable PhilHealth to determine their status.

The data survey forms will help PhilHealth determine whether or not the families surveyed are indeed indigents or qualified for the program. - Garry B. Lao