Bong Go calls for lessened out-of-pocket healthcare costs

Bong Go calls for lessened out-of-pocket healthcare costs

IN a Senate Committee on Health hearing presided over by Senator Christopher “Bong” Go as Chairperson on Thursday, January 16, discussions centered on the financial hardships faced by Filipinos in accessing healthcare services. Senator Go, a known health reforms crusader, urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to enhance its services by increasing coverage to significantly reduce out-of-pocket expenses for patients.

“Kailan kaya darating sa tingin ninyo, darating ang panahon na wala na, halos wala nang dudukutin sa sariling bulsa ang pasyenteng Pilipino? Sa tingin mo, aabot ba tayo sa gano’ng punto na wala nang dudukutin or still with less than 1% na i-cover ng PhilHealth, ang layo pa natin dito kasi since selected lang naman po ang inyong sinasabi na tinaas na case rates. Kailan sa tingin ninyo? Aabot ba tayo sa punto na mawawala ng pangamba at wala na silang dudukutin or we are still very far from that ambitious target?” Senator Go asked PhilHealth President Emmanuel Ledesma.

Ledesma responded by highlighting PhilHealth’s ongoing efforts to expand coverage and benefits. “Mr. Chair, again, we can assure the members that if we feel we need to increase that even more in the future, we will not stop there. We’ll see how it goes. But malaki na pong increase na ‘yan. Now to address your question, Mr. Chair, we have been very aggressive in PhilHealth. So I think, Mr. Chair, it’s safe to assume we just continue at our pace and we will get there,” Ledesma said.

Senator Go shared his observations on the struggles faced by patients in rural areas, drawing from firsthand experiences. He recounted an incident involving a hospital bill amounting to PhP 87,000, where PhilHealth only covered PhP 7,000, leaving the patient with a significant financial burden.

“Mangungutang ‘yan. Ibibenta ‘yung kalabaw, isasangla ‘yung refrigerator. ‘Yan po nangyari sa bukid. So, kung mataas ‘yung inyong case rates, mataas ‘yung counterpart n’yo, mas mababawasan ‘yung problema ng pasyente, ‘yung out-of-pocket expenditures nila. Malaking tulong po ‘yun,” Senator Go explained.

He urged PhilHealth to further increase case rates and broaden benefit packages.

Discussions also covered the achievements of the Malasakit Centers Act (Republic Act No. 11463), a legislative measure principally authored and sponsored by Senator Go. According to the senator, these centers have significantly reduced patients’ financial burdens by serving as one-stop shops for government assistance.

Malasakit Centers consolidate services from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), PhilHealth, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). These centers aim to help financially challenged patients minimize hospital expenses.

As the principal author and sponsor of the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, Senator Go emphasized its transformative impact. Currently, 166 Malasakit Centers are operational nationwide, assisting millions of Filipinos. The DOH reported that the program has benefited over 15 million patients to date.

“Sana po ay mas taasan n’yo pa ang inyong case rates, expand benefit packages para mas mababawasan po ang papasanin ng mga mahirap nating kababayan. Hindi na sila kailangan magmakaawa sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno, hindi na sila magsasangla ng kanilang kagamitan at ibibenta ‘yung kalabaw para lang po makalabas sa hospital. At mawawala ‘yung pangamba nila na magpa-check-up at magpa-hospital,” Senator Go said.

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