Universal Health Care bill sent to Duterte for signing


Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star) - January 25, 2019 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Universal Health Care (UHC) Bill, which aims to expand the government’s free health insurance program to millions of poor Filipinos, has been sent to President Duterte for his signature.
Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said yesterday Senate President Vicente Sotto III earlier affixed his signature to the bill and that it was transmitted to Malacañang after she signed it on Monday.
Arroyo said she is proud of the bill because it would mean universal and more efficient health coverage for every Filipino.  
“This bill will further strengthen the delivery of health care services to every Filipino and I am honored to be a part of it,” she said.?The House committee on health, chaired by Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, and her Senate counterpart, Joseph Victor Ejercito, drafted and endorsed the bill. 
“With sufficient funding, the expanded program aims to extend free health care services to the remaining 15 percent or about 16.5 million Filipinos,” Tan said.
“That is the number we hope to add to those who are enjoying free health insurance, if the government is able to raise enough funds for the UHC program,” she said.
Tan said at present, the program covers 85 percent of the nation’s estimated 110 million population.
She explained that intended beneficiaries would have to register with their barangay health centers to enroll for free health insurance coverage.
Tan said it is the national government that will shoulder the premium to be paid to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. for the beneficiaries’ health benefits.
She said the expanded benefits include preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care for medical, dental, mental and emergency health services.
“In light of the massive resources required to push the UHC agenda, the program will rely heavily on public funding. Thus, annual allocations from the national government are critical for the program’s successful implementation,” she stressed.
It is with this in mind that she, Ejercito and Sen. Manny Pacquiao have filed separate bills that seek to increase taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products.
“We have to generate a large part of the needed funding from increased sin taxes,” Tan said.

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