Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, on Saturday, welcomed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s decision to return the P60 billion excess funds to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), calling it a crucial step toward realizing the full intent of the landmark Universal Health Care (UHC) Law. 

Ejercito, principal author and sponsor of the Republic Act 11223 or UHC Law, said the returned funds would significantly boost PhilHealth’s capacity to deliver essential health services, especially for poor and vulnerable Filipinos.

“Malaking tulong ito para tunay na maramdaman ang Universal Health Care Law (This is a big help for the genuine implementation and impact of the Universal Health Care Law),” Ejercito said.

He emphasized that the additional resources should be used to fulfill key provisions of the UHC Law, including the No Balance Billing (NBB) policy in hospitals and the expansion of benefit packages such as dental care and outpatient emergency services, among others.

Ejercito also called on PhilHealth to ensure that the P60 billion will go directly to its members, especially those who require urgent medical care.

“Ang mahalaga ngayon ay tiyakin ng PhilHealth na ang pondong ito ay diretsong mapupunta sa mga miyembro, lalo na sa mga pasyenteng nangangailangan ng agarang tulong (What is important now is for PhilHealth to ensure that these funds go directly to its members, especially to patients who need immediate assistance),” he stressed. 

“Kapag mas malaki ang ambag o participation ng PhilHealth sa gastusin, mas lumiliit ang out-of-pocket expenses at gumagaan ang pasanin ng bawat pasyente at kanilang pamilya (When PhilHealth’s contribution or participation in expenses is bigger, out-of-pocket costs become smaller and the burden on each patient and their family is eased),” he added. 

The senator cited Acting PhilHealth President Dr. Eliodoro Mercado’s earlier commitment to increase case rates, saying the additional funding, along with the supplemental budget, could help make health care more accessible and equitable.

“Umaasa tayo na sa ibinalik na pondo at supplemental budget, mas mararamdaman ng ating mga kababayan na mayroong gobyerno na malalapitan at kaagapay sa oras ng karamdaman (We hope that with the returned funds and the supplemental budget, our fellow citizens will feel more that there is a government they can turn to and rely on in times of illness),” Ejercito said. 

As one of the main champions of health reform in the Senate, Ejercito has long advocated for full implementation of the UHC Law since its passage in 2019. He said the return of the excess funds signals a renewed commitment from the government to strengthen public health services across the country.