All Filipinos will soon be automatically covered by PhilHealth after the congressional bicameral conference committee on Tuesday finally approved the reconciled versions of the Universal Health Care Bills that would make health care available to all Filipinos.
“Under UHC, it’s already 100-percent coverage,” said Senator JV Ejercito, the principal author and sponsor of SBN 1896 and the head of the Senate panel to the bicameral panel.
He said the 100-percent coverage triggered the delay since they had to subsidize 65 percent of the population because only 35 percent were contributory.
“And we wanted to increase the benefits by pulling all the funds together,” Ejercito said.
“We had two bicams and at least all the hard work and sleepless nights. all had paid off. Both panels are very happy.
“We just need to ratify the measure and then, hopefully, we can send this to the Office of the President for review and for President Duterte to sign it into law.”
The Bicameral Conference Committee on the Disagreeing Provisions of the proposed UHC measures (Senate Bill No. 1896 and House Bill No. 5784) finished its work with a strong assurance that PhilHealth had a steady source of funds for the sustainable implementation of UHC once enacted into law.
“This is a good Christmas gift to Filipinos once enacted into law. Under the UHC, all Filipinos are covered by the national health insurance program, so this is affordable,” Ejercito said.
Ejercito said both bicam contingents approved a provision saying the funds for UHC would be sourced from the incremental sin tax collections as provided for in Republic Act 10351, and 50 percent of the national government share from the income of the Philippine Gaming Corporation.
The other sources are the 40 percent of the Charity Fund, net of Documentary Stamp Tax Payment, and the mandatory contributions of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, the premium contributions of members, the annual appropriations of the Department of Health, and the national government subsidy to PhilHealth included in the General Appropriations Act.
The funds will be transferred to PhilHealth and will be used to improve its benefit packages.
Ejercito said the amount necessary to implement the UHC would be included in the GAA and be appropriated under the Health Department and the government’s subsidy to PhilHealth.
“The DOH, in coordination with PhilHealth, may also request Congress to appropriate supplemental funding to meet the targeted milestone of the UHC Act,” Ejercito said.