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New PhilHealth Card LaunchedSeptember 19, 2011

One dream. One card for every Filipino's health. "This articulates PhilHealth's desire to unify our members' access to quality health care services through one card that will be their passport to such services." --- PhilHealth President and CEO Dr. Rey B. Aquino

THE new PhilHealth card was formally introduced to the public in a ceremony held recently at the SMX Convention Center. The event was led by Health Secretary Dr. Enrique T. Ona, PhilHealth President and CEO Dr. Rey B. Aquino and PhilHealth Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Atty. Alexander A. Padilla. The event showcased the government agency's Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative, aimed at aggressively pursuing enrolment of non-members. The scheme is an approach to achieve universal coverage by 2013.

Present during the launch were PhilHealth's key partners in the private sector who made the milestone possible. No less than the Chairman of Unilab, one of PhilHealth's major partners in the undertaking, Jocelyn Campos-Hess and Richard Dee, part-owner and Board Director, graced the event. Also present was Roberto Taboada, President of GSK Philippines, also one of PhilHealth's long-time partners from the private sector.

In his welcome remarks, Aquino thanked all the private partners who participated in the launch and that he was "proud to say that PhilHealth has been working very closely with the private sector earlier on" and that PhilHealth tapped their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs for the enrolment of less privileged families. He announced that "the new PhilHealth card comes with several health and wellness benefits for our members, and with this introduction of the new card, we hope to usher in more member sign-ups into the National Health Insurance Program." These partnerships strengthen the ties that bind to vigorously pursue PhilHealth's membership expansion efforts to fulfill the commitments under the Universal Health Care program of the national government.

On the other hand, Ona also expressed gratitude to all the private partner-companies present during the occasion and "hoped that many more will follow your example." Ona also thanked the partners for providing "lower costs of medicines and other health services for our PhilHealth members at the same time benefit your marketing plans."

Other key partners who graced the occasion were CIS Bayad Center President Manuel Lorenzo Tuazon, SM Retail, Inc. Senior Vice President Ricky Lim, Prime IT Source President Ana Pagara, 1abx Managing Director Myrna Alberto, All Card Plastics Philippines President Allieta Cue, and e-Soluzione President Julia Christine Jatico. Representatives of the merchant-partners also came to witness the fruition of a very important project, namely, Fresenius/FMC Medical Care, J N W Drug Testing, PQ Health Shield, Qualifirst, Rose Pharmacy, South Star Drug, Vivian Sarabia Optical, Watson's, Globe Telecoms and Smart Communications.

The new PhilHealth card will be issued to new members who will enroll under the Individually Paying Program at any SM or Bayad Center branch nationwide. Existing members from other program categories may also avail themselves of the card by paying a minimal fee. The card, which is made of PVC, bears the member's name, PhilHealth number, birthday and gender. It guarantees the member availment of incentives such as 15 percent discounts on generic drugs and medicines from Watson's, Rose Pharmacy and South Star Drug while Qualifirst gives up to 60 percent discount on all generic medicine products through the three partner drug stores. Fresenius offers a reduced price for hemodialysis, while PQ Health Shield and GSK offer flu vaccines of up to 20 and 80 percent, respectively. Vivian Sarabia Optical, on the other hand, offers free eye exam and 20 percent discount on regular priced items for complete prescription frame and lens orders aside from the 10 percent it offers on complete packages. Members may also avail themselves of 10 percent discount on drug testing services at JNW Drug Testing sites.

The new card will soon be available in all SM and Bayad Centers nationwide with phased-in implementation which started on September 16, 2011 in the National Capital Region.(by Amie L. Buted, PRO IV)



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