News
Health Insurance for 5,000 NCR Urban Settlers - July 8, 2008
AT LEAST 5,000 indigent families/urban settlers from various cities and municipalities in the National Capital Region (NCR) will be provided with health insurance coverage through the Sponsored Program of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
This development is being made possible through a tripartite agreement signed recently among PhilHealth, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
Shown signing the MOA are (L-R): PhilHealth Senior Vice President for Legal Services Group Atty.Valentin C. Guanio; PhilHealth Acting President & CEO Lorna O. Fajardo; PCSO Chairman Sergio O. Valencia, MMDA Assistant General Manager Corazon Bautista-Cruz, and PhilHealth Vice-President for NCR Group Rodolfo M. Balog.
Under the agreement, the PCSO is allocating P3 million representing the local governments' share in the annual premium contributions of the enrolled indigent families. The MMDA, on the other hand, will spearhead the identification of the indigent urban settlers who will be provided with health insurance coverage.
Lorna O. Fajardo, Acting PhilHealth President and CEO, said that the local government premium counterpart contribution will be collected from the PCSO prior to the issuance of the Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UM-ID) cards to the enrolees. The UM-ID has a chip that will soon facilitate member's eligibility checking at the hospital level to ensure hassle-free availment of hospitalization benefits.
Fajardo (middle) exchanges insights with Valencia and Cynthia Corvite, PhilHealth Manager for PMO-UMID.
These cards, which are set to be released by the 4th week of July, or a week after the final data capture shall have been completed, will entitle the enrolled families to inpatient hospitalization benefits in PhilHealth-accredited hospitals, as well as to outpatient diagnostic benefits that include chest x-ray, complete blood count, fecalysis, urinalysis, sputum microscopy and other services. The outpatient package may be availed of in designated PhilHealth-accredited rural health centers in the metropolis.
Fajardo added that the enrolled families may also avail themselves of primary consultations and check-up with general physicians upon the effectivity period of the UM-IDs which have a validity period of one year. She also emphasized that PhilHealth will soon issue a circular to all accredited health care providers detailing the guidelines for the recognition of the UM-IDs to avoid confusion with the other IDs earlier issued by PhilHealth.
The tripartite agreement also calls for PhilHealth to facilitate the accreditation of Rural Health Units (RHUs), Health Centers, District Hospitals, and other facilities in the areas where the members reside, in accordance with the accreditation standards, rules and procedures set forth in Republic Act 7875 as amended. It shall also facilitate the release of the capitation fund to the accredited outpatient providers through the LGUs where the members reside, in accordance with the Outpatient Consultation and Diagnostic Package Guidelines.
Fajardo shakes hands with Cruz while Valencia acknowledges Balog after the MOA signing as Guanio (left) looks on.
At the same time, the MMDA will provide the venue for the conduct of the data capture and will transport the UM-ID applicants to the data capture site. Together with PhilHealth and the concerned LGU, the MMDA will also facilitate the conduct of information, education and communication campaign activities to qualified indigent families to increase awareness and appreciation for social health insurance and its benefits. (END)