News
PhilHealth achieves universal coverage -
February 11, 2010
This one's for history: about 20 million Filipino families now have PhilHealth coverage!
This was disclosed by Dr. Rey B. Aquino, President and CEO of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) during a recent press briefing at the historic Manila Hotel in line with its 15th anniversary and in the observance of the National Health Insurance Month this February.
"We are very much honored to announce that we have already achieved universal coverage, a mandate that was given us by the Filipino nation 15 years ago when PhilHealth assumed the reins from the Medicare Commission," Aquino said of PhilHealth's greatest accomplishment and contribution to the health and well-being of the nation. "By universal coverage, we only mean one thing: quality health care services are now being accessed by 20 million Filipino families representing more than 80 percent of the entire RP population" he added.
According to the PhilHealth chief, this feat is unprecedented in the history of social health insurance in the country which formally started with the establishment of the Medicare program in the early '70s and which was superseded by PhilHealth through the enactment of Republic Act 7875 in February 1995 by then President Fidel V. Ramos.
Aquino attributed the increase in membership to sustained marketing efforts that have translated into renewals of enrolment, especially in the Sponsored Program. "We have managed to develop primary advocates for our program among the local chief executives who now appreciate the importance of enrolling their needy constituents into our program instead of providing dole-outs during medical necessities," he said.
He also gives credit to the 35 percent aggregate increase in the benefit package that PhilHealth recently implemented, adding that this move became a "pull strategy" to draw prospective members into the program. "More importantly, I believe it is the fact that our premium rates are the lowest in the health insurance industry that really entices Filipinos to enroll with us."
PhilHealth members are entitled to a wide range of benefits including allowances for hospital room and board fees from P300 to P1,100 per day for up to 45 days per year; drugs and medicines from P2,700 to P40,000 and allowances for x-ray and other laboratory exams from P1,600 to P30,000 per single period of confinement; use of operating room complex and even professional fees of attending physicians.
Over 1,600 hospitals in the country are now accredited with PhilHealth while more than 20,000 doctors, dentists and midwives are similarly accredited to provide the services along quality standards set by PhilHealth. Overseas confinements of qualified beneficiaries are also being compensated using the highest rates available. (END)