Citing ‘red tape’ as a major barrier to universal healthcare, Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday rallied the Anti-Red Tape Authority, Department of Health, and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. to accelerate reforms ensuring that no Filipino pays out of pocket for hospitalization.
During a keynote speech, Hontiveros urged agencies to simplify healthcare procedures and fully implement the Zero Balance Billing policy under the Universal Health Care Act.
“Bureaucratic roadblocks and bottlenecks must be identified and addressed. Repetitive or unnecessary requirements must be removed,” she asserted.
As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, Hontiveros noted that the Universal Health Care Act was designed to guarantee financial protection for every Filipino, but this goal remains unattainable without streamlined coordination among public institutions.
Moving forward, the senator said reforms must focus on improving service delivery and ensuring that patients in accredited hospitals are not charged additional costs.
