UHC sorely needs funds

Initial estimates are daunting given that over a five-year stretch some P1.437 trillion is required to implement the letter of the law called the UHC.

Funds are in short supply to adequately support the country’s Universal Health Care (UHC) program, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said on Thursday.

“I think we will not quite hit the total amount that will be required. But again, we’re talking about estimates now. We have to look at how it will actually work out,” Dominguez said of the P257 billion the UHC requires on its inaugural implementation by next year alone.

“Who knows Filipinos will actually get into the habit of eating better, smoking less, drinking less, so that the total UHC (requirement) is low,” he said.

Dominguez said government planners are looking at the numbers again to try to manage better the huge funding gap the health program requires. Countries like the Philippines look to fund the program with excise tax revenue.

“At the moment, the UHC is one of our major programs to improve the productivity of our countrymen and at this point, we’re only dealing with estimates because we don’t have a (UHC yet),” Dominguez said.

Initial estimates are daunting given that over a five-year stretch some P1.437 trillion is required to implement the letter of the law called the UHC.

“I suspect that sometime in the future we will have to revisit the estimates and compare it against actual,” Dominguez said.

He appreciated the effort lawmakers made by increasing the excise tax on cigarettes and alcohol to help fund the program.

“Maybe it’s not exactly what we want but the wisdom of the legislature is to be respected. And we appreciate the understanding and the action the legislature took because these actions are certainly a lot better than past legislatures. So, I want to thank both houses of Congress for their wisdom and their support for the program,” Dominguez said.