United Nationalist Alliance party senatorial candidate Jejomar Binay on Monday said if elected, he will push for additional funding for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to accommodate college students participating in face-to-face classes but do not have the means to pay for medical insurance.
“Our college students can hope that PhilHealth will have additional funding to accommodate them, especially those who will join face-to-face classes,” Binay said.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has allowed schools to operate in full capacity in areas under Alert Level 1.
However, the task force set several conditions on returning students, such as getting medical insurance and being fully vaccinated.
Binay said that there are students who cannot afford to pay the P300 premium as a direct contributor of PhilHealth.
“Many students are not direct contributors of PhilHleath, especially those from poor families, working students, and those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic,” the former vice president said.
While students under the age of 21 can be enrolled as their parents’ dependents, Binay said the subsidized PhlHealth enrollment will cover those who are older.
“They are the ones who need fundings because not everyone has the ability to get private health insurance,” he said.
Binay also appealed to other government agencies to fast-track students’ applications for indigency.
“Students with no visible means of income can apply as an indigent, which is an indirect member of PhilHealth,” he said.
“Now we are asking the agencies to expedite the issuance of the required certifications so that the student can immediately participate in face-to-face classes,” he added.