PhilHealth inks agreement with DSWD

CEBU, Philippines - PhilHealth signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the health insurance coverage of an initial 1,000 poor families.

The insurance premium, at P1,200 per family per year, will be shouldered by DSWD and the national government through PhilHealth at a 50-50 sharing scheme.

DSWD, through its Crisis Intervention Units (CIUs), provides assistance to individuals and families who are in emergency and crisis situations for various financial, medical and related concerns.

To address the medical needs of poor families, particularly those in crisis situations, DSWD committed to sponsoring half of the insurance premium of qualified beneficiaries for their PhilHealth coverage, amounting to P600,000.

Both PhilHealth and DSWD share the mandate of providing social protection to Filipinos, and this partnership is another of the various ways the two agencies have worked as distinct entities and together to address the social inequality that is still prevailing in our country today. Among which is access to health care which is largely dependent on a person’s capacity to pay for the needed medical or health care services.

This is one of the various aspects of social protection where PhilHealth makes a difference: making access to quality health care a function of a person’s need instead of his or her capacity to pay.

Pursuant to the mother agreement signed by PhilHealth president and CEO Dr. Rey B. Aquino and former DSWD secretary Dr. Esperanza I. Cabral, the PhilHealth vice president for South Luzon and Visayas, Mr. William O. Chavez and DSWD Field Office 7 director Ms. Ma. Evelyn B. Macapobre signed a memorandum of agreement for the regional implementation of the sponsorship. — /WAB