House pressing bigger LGU health contributions

The chair of the House Committee on Health said Monday they are working on measures to address the diminishing share of local government units (LGUs) in the country’s total health expenditure, including mandating an automatic five-percent allocation for a special health fund.

Rep. Ciriaco B. Gato Jr. acknowledged that various problems and issues regarding health financing continue to plague and threaten the healthcare network despite the enactment of the Universal Healthcare Act.

“One of these issues is the lack of a mandatory allocation of funds for health services,” Gato said.

The lawmaker was reacting to the study, Philippine Health Sector Performance: An Analysis Using the National Health Accounts of 1990-2022, commissioned by the Unilab Center for Health Policy (UCHP).

In the study, Doctors Michael Mo, Orville Solon, and Alejandro Herrin identified the diminishing health spending by LGUs as a major challenge to attaining inclusive health care.

The study was presented during the UCHP executive symposium held recently at the Sheraton Manila Bay hotel attended by representatives from Congress, the national government, local governments, healthcare providers, patients groups, and other key stakeholders in the health sector.