The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) can shoulder a 20 to 30 percent increase in its benefits given its current fiscal position, AGRI party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee said yesterday.
With half of Filipinos concerned with the high costs of medical care, the government must prioritize measures to cover the healthcare expenses of its citizens, he added.
The Bicolano legislator said the 2023 Manulife Asia Care Survey showed that close to half or 49 percent of Filipinos polled said the expense of treatment was their number one health management worry.
“This is not surprising. As I go around the country, and even on my Facebook, the major request for help from our people is medical assistance,” Lee said.
According to Lee, the other findings of the survey should convince policymakers to prioritize healthcare.
Of those surveyed, 37 percent said they were concerned about the loss of incomes or employment because of illness, while almost all of the respondents were worried about at least one illness, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
“Our people worry a lot about the huge expenses for treatment or hospitalization when a family member gets sick,” he said.
The lawmaker in October wrote PhilHealth recommending a 20 percent to 30 percent increase in all benefit packages and coverage provided by the agency.
He also filed House Resolution 1407 urging PhilHealth to update and increase its coverage since its case rate “is no longer responsive to the hospitalization cost of the beneficiaries.”
“Our countrymen are afraid they will lose their jobs or go bankrupt if they get sick. We must do something to do away with this fear,” he said.