House urged to hasten UHC amendments

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Thursday urged the House of Representatives to expedite its version of the proposed amendments to the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act so it could readily be enacted into law.

Ejercito stressed the urgency of the reforms to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to ensure proper funding, efficient management, and prompt delivery of health services.

“Natutuwa kami sa Senado na naisulong natin ang mga hakbang para mas mapabuti pa ang Universal Health Care. Pero kailangan natin ng mabilis na aksyon mula sa Kamara para maipasa ito nang tuluyan (We in the Senate are glad that we were able to advance the amendments to further improve Universal Health Care. But we need swift action from the House to pass it into law),” he said, expressing hope the lawmakers in the lower house would pass the measure before the year ends.

Senate Bill 2620 was identified as a priority measure by the Marcos administration and the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.

Ejercito, who authored the measure, said there’s still a need for a bicameral conference committee to reconcile proposals from both chambers before the bill’s enactment.

SB 2620 was passed in the Senate in the last week of August. Its counterpart measure at the House is still at the committee level.

“We cannot afford to wait any longer for reforms that will provide our citizens with the health services they deserve. This is not only a priority, it is a necessity for the well-being of our people,” Ejercito said.

The reforms to PhilHealth proposed under SB 2620 include adjustments to the premium rates, stricter fund management, and the prevention of fund transfers to other government entities — such as the P89.9-billion transfer of unused subsidies to the National Treasury.

The amended measure includes the expansion of PhilHealth coverage to dental services and regular reviews of benefit packages.