Senator Imee Marcos said Thursday she will file a bill to amend the Universal Health Care Act or RA 11223 to provide a legal basis for the deferment of Philhealth’s higher premiums.
She acknowledged that Philhealth’s premiums are in the UHC law, but she is studying if, on its own, Philhealth could defer imposing the higher premiums under both Bayanihan 1 & 2.
In any case, Marcos said, she was already drafting an amending bill to defer the increase in Philhealth’s premiums that its members could ill afford in these difficult times.
Former Senator JV Ejercito, the principal author and sponsor of UHC, said it seemed like Philhealth once again failed to grasp the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to the Filipino people.
While the government was now trying its best to help everyone to recover from their economic loss due to the pandemic, Philhealth once again would like to implement an increase in the contribution of its members in disregard of the economic realities.
“We acknowledge the urgent need of funds to fully implement the targeted milestones of the Universal Health Care Law,” Ejercito said
However, he says, the same law does not limit the sources of funding for its implementation from the contributions of its members.
Philhealth, together with the Health department, should have asked Congress for supplemental funding to ensure the objectives of the UHC law were met.
Instead, he said, Philhealth would just like to rely on its struggling members for funding.
Moreover, he says, the UHC law says Philhealth should provide a corresponding increase in benefits for every increase in rate of contribution.
“What then is the additional benefits that Philhealth would provide for its members for next year?” Ejercito said.
“I appeal to Philhealth to suspend the implementation of the increased rate of contribution. The last thing our people need is another burden.”