Kuya Bong focuses on UHC gaps
Go also filed a bill to mandate the issuance of PhilHealth IDs to increase public awareness and access to services.
Photo courtesy of senator Bong Go
Daily TribuneGo also filed a bill to mandate the issuance of PhilHealth IDs to increase public awareness and access to services.
Photo courtesy of senator Bong Go
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, disclosed recently that he will push to convene a joint congressional oversight committee on the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act this year to address persistent gaps in the system.
Go said the country is still far from the full implementation of the law, despite its promise of health care access for every Filipino.
“Yes, we will convene the oversight committee on the UHC this year with our counterparts in the lower house,” Go said, associating himself with the privilege speech delivered by Senator JV Ejercito, the law’s principal sponsor.
Go acknowledged that the Covid-19 pandemic exposed long-standing vulnerabilities in the health care system, including infrastructure limitations and a shortage of health care workers.
He urged the Department of Health and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to “exert extra effort” to deliver on the law’s objectives.
Go also clarified the issue of “no-balance billing,” stating that it applies to patients in charity wards, where services should be free under the UHC. He highlighted that complications during surgery, especially in government hospitals, often lead to higher charges, even for patients in pay wards.
The lawmaker questioned why PhilHealth had excess funds last year while many Filipinos were struggling with medical costs. He called for the agency to remove policies that limit coverage, such as the 45-day limit, and said PhilHealth should not be raising contribution rates when it has a surplus.
He also welcomed PhilHealth’s move to increase its E-konsulta coverage from P500 to P1,700 and supported a bill that would lower premium contribution rates from 5 percent to 3.25 percent.
Go also filed a bill to mandate the issuance of PhilHealth IDs to increase public awareness and access to services.
The senator also stressed the importance of depoliticizing medical assistance and ensuring that all Filipinos have access to health care.