News
PhilHealth Mulls Enrolment of MFIs, Bankers Associations -
July 06, 2007
THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) today called on microfinancing institutions and rural bankers associations to provide health insurance coverage to their individual members through the organized group enrolment initiative. Through KaSAPI or Kalusugang Abot-Kaya sa PhilHealth Insurance which PhilHealth is implementing in cooperation with the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ), informal economy workers are provided with the health insurance protection they need and in the process help PhilHealth achieve universal coverage. In today's forum at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati City, PhilHealth Acting President and CEO Lorna O. Fajardo said that partnerships through KaSAPI "completes the menu of social services" that the organized groups can offer to their members, "enhances the viability of the organization and gives members the security they need" especially where medical emergencies are concerned. Also present in today's forum, held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati City were panelists (L-R): Emmanuel Guina, Executive Director of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines and Evangeline Escobillo, Insurance Commissioner.
Fajardo said that among the challenges in implementing the KaSAPI were the need to further study the organized groups' "language," and for PhilHealth to continuously market the program as a more viable alternative. "We are here to further expand that horizon" and appealed to microfinance organizations and rural bankers' associations to provide the financial protection for their individual members. Also present at the forum, held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati City were Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III (left) and Theresa Soriano, Assistant Secretary for Internal Affairs of the Department of Labor and Employment.
Duque III, who also sits as Chair of the PhilHealth Board of Directors, emphasized the need to include the informal economy workers in the country's economic development agenda. He also called on government and non-government agencies to "forge breakthrough solutions to maximize KaSAPI and deliver social protection to the informal economy workers." (Photos by Nitto G. Pineda, CorComm)