CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The Provincial Government of Pampanga has announced that it will implement another 30 percent increase in all PhilHealth benefit packages and coverage this December. 

Vice Gov. Lilia “Nanay” Pineda said the additional 30 percent will help address the rising costs of healthcare and ensure that Filipinos, especially those from lower-income backgrounds, have access to adequate medical care.

She added that the current PhilHealth benefits are often insufficient to cover the full cost of treatments, leaving many patients facing significant out-of-pocket expenses.

The vice governor, a staunch advocate for the increase in PhilHealth coverage, recently received a plaque from PhilHealth for her support of the agency’s programs during the PhilHealth Z Benefits Summit held at Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center here. 

The summit saw the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) between PhilHealth and local government units (LGUs) for the membership and data clean-up of barangay tanods and Indigenous Peoples, ensuring their access to PhilHealth benefits.

In an interview, Guagua Mayor Tonton Torres said the additional 30 percent is a big boost especially for poor Capampangans. 

House Resolution 1900, filed by Agri Partylist Rep. Wilbert Lee, seeks to determine how PhilHealth can expeditiously increase the current benefits and introduce new benefit packages such as the inclusion of vital diagnostic tests and other essential laboratory exams as outpatient services.

Lee had urged the state insurer to implement the increase, citing  PhilHealth’s availability of substantial funds and the transfer of P89.9 billion in excess savings to the national treasury, proves “it is more than able to expand its benefit packages and can even introduce new benefits to cover more of the actual hospitalization costs.”

He also fervently pushed for the 30-percent across-the-board increase in PhilHealth benefits implemented on 14 February.