NextGen Day

MANILA, Philippines — Reforming health care, particularly the national health insurance system, should be one of the main goals of the future administration, according to a senator on Friday.

Following the state insurer’s recent increases in mandatory premium contributions for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), which reached as high as PHP38,400 per year, Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda emphasized the need to introduce systemic reforms to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

“It’s too pricey for OFWs.” And the question is straightforward: “What do they gain from PhilHealth donations if they are unable to visit Philippine hospitals while abroad?” In a statement, Salceda remarked.

In the next Congress, Salceda plans to reintroduce a proposal for a fundamental revamp of the entire health-care system.

“I expect to work on revamping PhilHealth with the next Secretary of Health and [incoming] SOF (Secretary of Finance Benjamin) Diokno.” “I sincerely hope that health-care reform is at the top of President BBM’s (Bongbong Marcos) priority list,” he remarked.

House Bill No. 7570, also known as the PhilHealth Reform Act, proposes exempting OFWs from paying monthly premiums and charging minimum wage earners only PHP100.

Salceda’s bill offers modifications to the collecting system, reserve fund management, claim and benefit distribution and verification, and governance.

By connecting the income tax rate to a premium contribution, the premium contribution plan is made more progressive under the law.

“We’re connecting the premium payment to income and getting rid of the income cap.” The more you make above the ceiling, the less you pay as a percentage of your income under the old system. Of course, this isn’t progressive. “By tying it to income, we’re enhancing the system,” Salceda said.

According to him, the law would raise the income cap, allowing the wealthy to pay substantially more while the average worker pays significantly less.

The measure also proposes to change the governance structure of PhilHealth by making the Secretary of Finance the Board’s Chairperson.

As an insurance and investment organization, PhilHealth, according to Salceda, requires the same level of administration as the Government Service Insurance System.

“Govt-owned and controlled corporations” (GOCCs) under the Secretary of Finance appear to be better governed than other GOCCs, he added.

The bill mandates the construction of a national health database of all claims and benefits requested from and granted by PhilHealth in order to avoid fraud in case reporting.

The one-patient, one-record policy will be upheld, and PhilHealth will be subjected to an independent audit.

President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. declared throughout his campaign that he will advocate for family-based health insurance to ensure that Filipinos of all ages have access to essential health care services.

Marcos stated that he will “redesign” PhilHealth’s operations to ensure that money are disbursed quickly.

“Sa aking palagay, dapat pagtibayin iyan at mabigyan ng health insurance lahat dahil kaya naman gawin,” Marcos explained.

He stated that he will promote the concept of the rural health unit (RHU), in which a tiny clinic will be created in every village or clustered village and visited at least three times a week by doctors, nurses, and midwives.

“Let’s tear down the health-care system,” he declared at the time.

According to Marcos, the concept of renewing the health-care system will increase hospital care capacity, allowing those in need of important medical intervention to easily access hospitalization and be well-insured.

He said that those with mild cases can be treated in RHUs.

During the Covid-19 outbreak, Marcos also advocated the complete implementation of Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care Act, and committed to push for specialized hospitals and tertiary level hospitals in underserved areas.

The Universal Health Care Act requires the Department of Health and PhilHealth to establish health technology assessment as a fair and transparent priority-setting mechanism for the development of policies and programs, regulation, and the determination of a variety of entitlements such as drugs, medicines, pharmaceutical products, other devices, procedures, and services.

The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives has filed a joint resolution requesting for the premium rate hike to be halted.

“[The additional premiums] will equal to higher income deductions for wage and salary workers who are struggling to keep up with incessant price spikes of basic products and services,” Makabayan lawmakers said.

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