PhilHealth starts national registration, targets 4.7 million indigent families

MANILA, Philippines – It’s all systems go for the national registration day for Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Health Secretary Enrique Ona said yesterday.

Ona said the event primarily targets some 4.7 million families confirmed as “indigent” through the National House Targeting System-Proxy Means Test of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The health chief has urged those who are not yet PhilHealth members but are capable of paying the P1,200 monthly premium fee to enroll in the health insurance program.

“Health insurance is a good thing. You won’t worry that much when you get sick because you can rely on something that can reduce your out-of-pocket expenses,” he said in a press briefing.

“In keeping with P-Noy’s promise to give each and every Filipino access to quality healthcare in three years’ time, he will be distributing PhilHealth cards to the very poor Filipinos previously identified by the DSWD,” he added.

Under the program, the Department of Health (DOH) and PhilHealth will enroll one member of an indigent family as principal member, most probably the mother or the father.

Other family members, like parents who are already senior citizens and children below 21 years old, including those with disabilities even beyond this age bracket, will be the beneficiaries of the principal members.

DOH Assistant Secretary Gerardo Bayugo said the national government may help local government units (LGUs) pay for the premium fees of their poor constituents.

“For this campaign, we are trying to make a mechanism which will provide the (LGUs) a counterpart (payment). It will be 50-50 or P600 since the annual premium is P1,200,” he said.

Bayugo claimed there are private organizations and companies that have pledged to help in paying the premium fees of poor individuals.

He added the DSWD “is taking care of the list” of its pre-identified indigents whose membership fees would automatically be shouldered by the government.

Ona said registration booths would be set up at PhilHealth service centers, DOH regional offices, public schools, municipal and city halls, community halls and DOH hospitals across the country.

“I encourage all Filipinos especially those who are not yet members of PhilHealth: Let us go out and avail of this opportunity to be registered with PhilHealth on Oct.2. Let’s protect ourselves from the financial effects of health emergencies and medical situations in the family,” he said. –Sheila Crisostomo (The Philippine Star)