Gov't sets aside P12.6 B for basic medical care

MANILA, Philippines - The government is setting aside P12.61 billion out of the proposed P2.006-trillion 2013 national budget to provide some 5.3 million poor families with basic medical care.

Senate finance committee chairman Franklin Drilon said the funds will be used to fully subsidize the health insurance premium of 5.3 million indigents identified in the National Household Targeting System (NHTS).

The NHTS is being used to identify and reach indigent and informal sector households.

“The 2013 budget provides for P12.61 billion to secure the enrollment of about 5.3 million families in PhilHealth at P2,400 per annum per family,” said Drilon, whose committee has started deliberations on the budget of various agencies to be able to pass the 2013 national budget by October.

Drilon said the beneficiaries of the universal health care program can reach up to 20 million or even more for the PhilHealth card can be used by the principals’ spouse and their minor children.

“The government will fully pay the health premiums of indigent patients to widen their access to proper medication. It is disturbing to know that, in this modern day, there are still a great number of Filipinos who do not have access to immediate health care,” Drilon said.

He added that indigent patients can be freed from the financial worries with the new PhilHealth case rates payment scheme already in place that provides for a no-balance billing policy for 23 medical cases which include, among others, dengue, pneumonia, asthma, typhoid fever, and appendectomy.    

Drilon also explained that the Department of Justice (DOJ) opinion last March authorizing the use of P8.3 billion by the government to fully subsidize the PhilHealth premiums of indigent patients for the current year will still be in effect in the 2013 budget.

Under the 2012 General Appropriations Act, the full release of national government full premium subsidy was subject to the issuance of a DOJ opinion. The DOJ stated that the move to fully subsidize the health premiums of indigent patients will not violate the National Health Insurance Act.