HMOs hit for discriminating vs 6 M senior citizens

MANILA, Philippines - Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo wants the Insurance Commission (IC) to penalize private health-maintenance organizations (HMOs) that discriminate against the country’s more than six million senior citizens.

Romulo said several HMOs, which he did not identify, “unjustly” imposed an age ceiling that automatically disqualifies individuals aged 60 years and older.

Other HMOs just refuse to renew the coverage of plan holders when they reach 60 years old, he said.

“This constitutes strong age discrimination, which is totally unfair and simply unacceptable,” Romulo said.

The Pasig City lawmaker invoked Article XIII Section 11 of the Constitution, which mandates the state to make essential healthcare services available to all, especially the elderly, at affordable cost.

“We must stress that the state and the private sector have a shared duty to improve the welfare of our senior citizens,” Romulo said.

HMOs provide prepaid health insurance plans to enrolled members through a network of contracted hospitals and doctors, he said.

There are 23 HMOs doing business in the country, and together they now have more than four million plan holders, he said.

Just last month, President Aquino issued Executive Order 192, which transferred the supervision and regulation of HMOs to the IC from the Department of Health.

Romulo has filed House Bill 6348 or the proposed Anti-Healthcare Age Discrimination Act, seeking to impose administrative fines of up to P300,000 on HMOs that refuse to sign up individuals 60 years old and above.

The bill also entitles every senior citizen “to moral and exemplary damages” in the event he or she is denied HMO coverage.

“With or without our bill, the IC should compel HMOs to accept senior citizens seeking coverage, or face financial punishment and other administrative sanctions,” Romulo said.

He said access to HMO plans and services would augment the healthcare benefits that senior citizens now enjoy under the law, including the 20 percent discount on hospital charges and the cost of medicines, and automatic coverage by the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp.