Senator Christopher “Bong” Go called on the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to expand its coverage and reduce out-of-pocket expenses for Filipino patients during a Senate Committee on Health and Demography hearing on Thursday, 16 January.

Go, who chairs the committee, emphasized the financial strain faced by many Filipinos when accessing healthcare services. “Kailan kaya darating ang panahon na halos wala nang dudukutin sa sariling bulsa ang pasyenteng Pilipino (When will the time come when Filipino patients no longer have to reach into their own pockets?)?” he asked PhilHealth president Emmanuel Ledesma, highlighting the urgent need for improved healthcare coverage.

Ledesma assured the committee of PhilHealth’s ongoing efforts to increase benefits and reduce patient costs. “We have been very aggressive in PhilHealth... we just continue at our pace, and we will get there,” Ledesma said.

During the hearing, Senator Go recounted the struggles of patients in rural areas, including an incident where PhilHealth covered only P7,000 of an P87,000 hospital bill. He urged PhilHealth to raise case rates and expand benefit packages, noting that increased coverage would alleviate the financial burdens on low-income families.

The discussion also highlighted the achievements of the Malasakit Centers Act (Republic Act No. 11463), a law principally authored and sponsored by Go. These centers consolidate assistance from various government agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Health (DOH), PhilHealth, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), to minimize hospital expenses for patients.

According to DOH, the program has benefited over 15 million patients through 166 operational Malasakit Centers nationwide.

Go reiterated the need for PhilHealth to enhance its support for patients. “Mas taasan n’yo pa ang inyong case rates, expand benefit packages para mas mabawasan ang papasanin ng mga mahirap nating kababayan (Increase your case rates further and expand benefit packages to reduce the burden on our less fortunate countrymen),” he said.

The senator also stressed that improved healthcare coverage would help eliminate the need for patients to resort to desperate measures, such as pawning valuables or selling livestock, to afford medical expenses.