Awareness is a basic and vital factor to achieve customer satisfaction.
With this in mind, PhilHealth has been implementing the Alamin at Gamitin Program (AlaGa) to reach out to all Filipinos and inform them about membership registration, health insurance benefits and claims reimbursement.
The province of La Union is a forerunner in the health insurance coverage of its people, having 105% coverage rate as of March 2016. Yet, PhilHealth La Union Local Health Insurance Office embarked on a barangay-based AlaGa Ka activities for the 4Ps and LGU-Sponsored members of the province. The NHTS-sponsored indigents had been given information seminars in the past years to ensure that they as PhilHealth members, are accorded with the right knowledge on benefits and the health services that can be availed of and their privileges such as entitlement to the No Balance Billing policy in the government hospitals.
Coordination with the Local Government Units (LGUs) regarding barangay-based information dissemination seminars on PhilHealth benefits and updates was made, resulting to a clustering of barangays to fit the schedule of PhilHealth personnel. The seminars commenced in May 2016 with the Municipality of Sudipen, La Union with clustered barangays per session, two sessions per day, four days a week. It was followed by the Municipality of Bangar, La Union in June 2016; Municipality of Balaoan in July 2016 and Municipality of Sto. Tomas in August 2016.
Undaunted by the limited PhilHealth manpower in the LHIO, one PhilHealth staff was assigned per day to handle two AlaGa Ka sessions on rotational basis so that LHIIO operations and frontline services will not be hampered. The sessions are held in the barangay halls, primary schools, evacuation centers and parks in the barangays. The lone PhilHealth staff endured the changes in weather and difficult roads to reach our less fortunate Filipinos.
A total of 107 barangays have been visited and given AlaGa Ka seminars in 82 sessions in the four (4) municipalities of La Union from May to August 2016, covering nearly a thousand indigent members.
The efforts of the PhilHealth staff have been rewarded with the countless winsome smiles and words of appreciation from members, but nothing beats being able to be of service to them. This way, we know we have done our part in satisfying our clients and members. (END) (Dr. Helen D. Tobias - CSIO/ Chief, LHIO La Union)