PhilHealth asked to serve indigents without cards

CEBU, Philippines - Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona instructed Philhealth officers to provide services to every indigent Philhealth member despite the absence of their membership cards.

This happened during Ona’s visit to the Bicol region, according to the official website of the Department of Health (DOH).

“The absence of Philhealth membership cards to a legitimate Philhealth member should not be a reason not to provide services,” Ona said. He added that the legitimacy of these members can always be checked at the Philhealth Central Office.

Without any ready proof to support their membership claim, these patients are automatically classified as indigents by the hospitals. Non-availment by members of their entitlements deprives these members of the needed services and at the same time drains the funds of the hospitals.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda earlier lamented that the poor people in their municipality are used to going to government hospitals without any papers and expect to be provided services without shelling out a single centavo.

On this, Ona reminded everyone that it is the national and local government’s duty to inform the people of their benefits.

“We are committed to serving the Filipinos’ health needs,” Ona stressed. Furthermore, he reminded Philhealth officers, including local government officials, that it is the President’s marching order to extend the best healthcare possible to every Filipino.

Also, common law wives/husbands of legitimate members should be given privileges like that of married couples. The health chief said that just because they are not married does not mean that they are not entitled, especially if they are poor. He added that this is the very essence why Philhealth exists - to provide health services to the poor.

In Cebu, the Philhealth medical insurance for indigents has been a priority of the Cebu Provincial Government since 2004, making the province the number one in the country in terms of the number of enrollees in the Philhealth Insurance Program for indigents. — /JPM (FREEMAN)