6,000 Cavite families now enjoy two-year PhilHealth coverage April 25, 2012

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and Rep. Joseph Emilio A. Abaya (1st District, Cavite) recently renewed its partnership to continuously provide health insurance coverage to poor families through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed in Pasig City .

Six thousand poor families from Cavite City and the municipalities of Rosario, Kawit and Noveleta will benefit from the said partnership.

"The move of Rep. Abaya to prioritize the two-year health insurance coverage of his constituents is very admirable. We thank all the local chief executives and Congressmen like Rep. Abaya who still supported the Sponsored Program despite the premium increase we implemented this year," said Atty. Alexander A. Padilla, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of PhilHealth.

Effective January 1, 2012, the premium contribution under the Sponsored Program is P2,400.00 per family enrolled. However, PhilHealth implemented a partial subsidy scheme for Local Government Units that will renew the sponsorship of their indigent constituents. Participating LGUs can avail of the lower premium rate of P1,800 per family enrolled if they renew their sponsorship for two years or until December 2013, provided that the MOA is signed on or before June 30, 2012.

"Naniniwala kami bilang mga lingkod-bayan na isa sa pinakamagandang serbisyo na mibibigay mo sa mahihirap mong mga kababayan ay magbigay ng medical coverage tulad ng ginagawa ngayon ng PhilHealth," Abaya said.

He also added that "Sana mapatakbo natin ng maayos ito dahil maraming pondo ang nilalaan ng ating pamahalaan dito. Alam natin dun sa NHTS program ay 5.2 million ang nakikinabang dyan mas lalo yung 10 million poorest of the poor will especially be covered. Ibig sabihin may pondo ang ating pamahalaan na tulungan yung mga mahihirap. Ang mahalaga lamang dito ay maayos natin at matino natin mapatakbo ang programa."

Eligible PhilHealth members may avail of the PhilHealth benefits such as subsidies for hospital room and board fees, drugs and medicines, x-ray and laboratory exams, use of operating room complex and professional fees of attending physicians in any of the 1,627 accredited hospitals nationwide. Outpatient and special benefit packages may also be availed of by members and their qualified dependents. (Pinky G. Aragones)