Senate Bill No. 2620, which seeks to amend Republic Act 11223, also known as the Universal Healthcare Act, reached the plenary on Tuesday.

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, who sponsored the UHC Act, introduced SBN 2620 under Committee Report No. 245. This bill includes revising the premium rates for direct contributors to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., or PhilHealth.

In his sponsorship speech, Ejercito underscored the importance of “adapting to changing circumstances.”

“The Universal Health Care Act is a perfect example. That law was passed before Covid made its mark in Wuhan’s wet markets,” he said.

Under the measure, rates would be adjusted “in due consideration of changed circumstances” such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year, the state-run health insurer imposed the full 5-percent premium rate adjustment. However, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended the premium hike.

Ejercito said the proposed increase in premiums is unjustified at a time when people are struggling with the high cost of basic goods.

The measure, which consolidates proposals from seven bills authored by Ejercito, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, and Senators Grace Poe, Imee Marcos, Ronald Dela Rosa, Sonny Angara, Bong Revilla, Christopher Go, and Raffy Tulfo, also allows PhilHealth to adjust income thresholds to meet funding needs for health benefit packages and propose tailored provisions for overseas Filipino workers.

“These will consider their unique circumstances. We are proposing that the premium contributions of OFWs will be based on the income floor,” Ejercito said.

“Half of the contributions of the OFWs will be subsidized through the national budget,” he added.

The measure likewise states that distressed migrant workers' unpaid contributions should not be collected upon their return to the country. Their failure to pay their premiums should not be a basis for denying them an overseas employment certificate.

Ejercito said the bill would enable the President to suspend the increase in premium contribution rates if there is a state of national emergency, a public health emergency, or a state of calamity.

“The UHC Act remains our best hope to bring quality health care to every Filipino. Let us stay on the right path. And let us smoothen the road bumps by swiftly passing this measure,” he said.

PhilHealth president and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. had previously said that the corporation’s finances were enough to support its current and future programs and services should Marcos decide to suspend the planned premium hike.

“PhilHealth's cash position is good. I don’t think any of the programs or packages will continue. Nothing will be affected. We’ll still be able to, as we are expecting to implement everything successfully this year,” he said.

Last year, Marcos issued a memorandum ordering the deferral of the scheduled hike in the PhilHealth premium rate from 4 percent to 4.5 percent.

He cited “socioeconomic challenges” and “difficult times” for suspending PhilHealth’s scheduled premium rate and income ceiling adjustments.