PhilHealth reviews budget for children with special needs

PhilHealth is reviewing and reprioritizing its budget proposals for programs benefiting children with special needs following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for greater government support in his State of the Nation Address (SONA).

PhilHealth acting president and CEO Dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho said Thursday that the agency is reviewing its budget proposals ahead of hearings scheduled for 20 September.

“We have to review the budget proposals prior to our hearings on 20 September,” Ho said in an interview.

“Generally, we have to reprioritize, considering now the shared agenda and shared priorities,” she added.

Ho said PhilHealth would also work with the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and health professionals in implementing outreach programs for children with special needs.

She noted that DepEd has facilities that can be used for therapy sessions, allowing agencies to pursue a more systematic approach to delivering services to children who need them.

Marcos, in his fifth SONA, called for stronger government support for the health and development of children with special needs and developmental disabilities.

The President announced the expansion of government medical and financial assistance, including increased PhilHealth benefits for medical consultations and therapy assessments for children under 18 with developmental conditions.

The administration also increased the number of government-covered rehabilitation, occupational, physical and speech therapy sessions from 90 to 150 sessions per child.

Marcos also cited the DSWD’s Project Aruga, which provides supplemental financial assistance and community-based support to families facing medical and educational expenses for children with disabilities.

The expanded government support covers children diagnosed with conditions including autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, cerebral palsy and global developmental delay.