PhilHealth To Provide Universal Coverage Of At Least 85% Of The 90M Filipinos In 2010

Maasin City, Southern Leyte - The National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) or in short PhilHealth with its current theme: ?Kalusugan ng lahat,PhilHealth ang katapat? has aimed to provide a universal coverage of at least 85% of the entire 90M Filipinos by the year 2010.

This was the disclosure of Dr. Elizabeth S. Fernandez, PhilHealth regional office Vice-President during the 14th year anniversary celebration since it establishment on Feb. 14, 1995 held recently at Supercha Restaurant here.

She admitted however that PhilHealth ?s goal cannot be achieved without the help of various stakeholders and sectors of society like the government agencies, private companies, financial institutions, LGUs, professional institutional health care providers, private sponsors, accredited collecting partners, the international communities (for loans and grants providing technical assistance and capacity modules to help strengthen human capital infrastructure), Congress for the enactment of health laws for its members, and the local media.

National, Regional Achievements

Fernandez disclosed that in the national level PhilHealth has already covered 76% of the 90M population which translate in figures to 60M as of December 2008.She said that the employed sector has the highest level of coverage of 34%,18% private sector, 12% OFWs, 11% self-employed, and 1% non-paying members.

In the regional level, membership has reached 60%,which if translated into figures is 4.2M.She claimed that in region 8(Leyte and Samar) an additional membership of 2.5 M,which in percentage is 2.5% is all it needs to achieve the level of a universal coverage by 2010.

PhilHealth has likewise released funds for the health benefit, she said, to hospitalized members of P8.6M in 2006 and another P16.5M from January up to November 2008.

The provinces that lead in PhilHealth membership are Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Northern Samar and Western Samar.

On the other hand, Maasin branch office has achieved 65% of its target in getting membership of 5,548 as of December 2008.It was also learned that there are 1,500 PhilHealth ?accredited hospitals nationwide.

Various Strategies

The regional Vice-President further revealed that PhilHealth Universal Coverage has outlined various strategies and approaches to achieve their goal of attaining the 85% membership among the entire Filipino population. Some of these are the following:1)Reach, Build and Achieve(self-explanatory);2)Express it from the heart-putting up billboards in strategic locations bearing health messages?3)Connect Thru Technology-text/online promotion messages;4)PhilHealth Social Networking-entice every accredited sponsors in different companies,institutions,etc to subsidize indigent memberhip;5)Increase Service System-giving awards thru gifts/ certificates as a special present to indigent birthday celebrants;6)Health Group Builders- organizing group formations to gather/recruit at least 25 persons to become PhilHealth members reciprocated with discounts in premium remittances as rewards;7)PhilHealth Working as a Team-(Self-explanatory;8)Providing awards for the efficiency in submitting reports and remittances for the office?s/company?s members.

Awarding Ceremony

Misael F. Paigan, PhilHealth Chief Maasin Service Office, informed that their office is also giving framed certificates of appreciation/recognition to partner-stakeholders who were prompt in submitting reports and remittances from their respective members.

1) Best Employer: A)DENR-PENRO (NGA level) – Ranulfo Q. Arbiol,PENR Officer and his colleagues Maggie and Perla;

2) St.Bernard LGU (NGA level)- Mayor Rico C. Rentuza represented by his secretary Liza Federacion;

3) St. Joseph College (Private sector) – Executive Vice-President Crispin D. Arong, Sr. represented by Mary Lou C. Tiempo;

4) National Statistics Office – Lourdes Orito Kionisala – most active friends of PhilHealth volunteers;

5) Hinunangan – LGU – Mayor Romeo M. Gomez (municipal level) – achieving more than 100% (2,353 indigent individuals) PhilHealth membership of the municipality?s indigent population;

6) Provincial Level – Governor Damian G. Mercado represented by Dodi Fernandez of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council Office;

7) Special award-Land Bank Philippines Branch Manager Regorberto G. Mondoy

Positive Reactions

In his speech Mayor Gomez, a former RTC Judge here, confided that through PhilHealth he was able to have his 2 eyes operated on 2 times due to severe blurriness. He divulged some of his friends and acquaintances were surprised to see him no longer wearing his graded eyeglasses. He said he made a curt reply saying ?because of PhilHealth?.

In another occasion other group of familiar people was likewise astonished to see him, he intimated, not wearing his usual graded eyeglasses anymore. He said he made a short reply saying ?because of the wonders of PhilHealth?.

He implied without PhilHealth he might still be suffering from a blurry vision which prompted him to be always wearing graded eyeglasses until now.

The experience, it was learned, has inspired him to sponsor indigency program for PhilHealth membership in his municipality?s constituents covering 2,353 indigent individuals by setting aside part of the LGU funds.

Another awardee – recipient Dodi Fernandez confessed that the indigency sponsorship done by the provincial government thru the incumbent Governor was inspired by their Bukidnon visit. He unfolded that Bukidnon has the best health program with 3 tertiary hospitals catering to PhilHealth members.

He informed that health program is the number 7 in the provincial government?s priority agenda. He said the first group of subsidized recipients for indigency program was the Barangy Health Workers.

LB Manager Mondoy also expressed his appreciation of PhilHealth?s recognition to the bank?s effort in collecting premiums among its members and thanked the latter for making Land Bank their choice.

Moreover, the PhilHealth regional Vice-President admonished hospitalized members to make things clear with their attending private physicians if they have signed waivers. If indeed they did because they have already received fees for their patients? services, then the benefit will go to them (the patients).And they have the right to claim their respective benefits after hospitalization.

When asked why PhilHealth is selective in making reimbursements of prescribed medicines from hospitalized members-patients, Dr. Fernandez explained that the selective way of reimbursing the prescribed medicines for the patients is based on the list of quality medicines provided by the Philippine National Drug (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)

About the Contributor:

Mr. Quirico M. Gorpido Jr was an erstwhile Correspondent/Contributor to the following weeklies and dailies: Tacloban-based regional weekly a 33-year-old The Reporter for many years(now defunct), a Cebu-based weekly The Visayan Express(now defunct),Cebu-based daily The Freeman(1994-1998) now a sister publication of The Philippine Star, Maasin-based weekly The Southern Leyte Times for three years, Tacloban-based daily The Leyte Samar Daily Express(2000-2001), Cebu-based daily the Cebu Daily News(2002-2003), Tacloban-based weekly 7-year-old Tribune(2003-2007).