Political Front

Roxas, Aquino Vow 100%
Health Coverage For Filipinos

The tandem of Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and vice-presidential candidate Senator Mar Roxas II has vowed to expand the coverage of health insurance among Filipinos to 100 percent within three years or by 2013. They aim　to ensure the poor and the elderly will have access to professional health care.
　

Roxas said providing easier access to quality health care will be the priority of the Aquino-Roxas administration, along with better education, economic growth and job creation.

"May programa kami na tinatawag na universal health care na ibig sabihin lahat ng kababayan natin ay dapat magkakaroon ng access sa PhilHealth," Roxas said in an interview over radio dzMM. The LP tandem would also work to increase the benefits provided by state health insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Roxas added.

Despite the enactment of Republic Act No. 7875 or the National Health Insurance Act of 1995, the quality of health care has severely deteriorated which Roxas noted was mainly due to politicians who decide who will be given access to PhilHealth. He added that "less than 40 percent of our people" are covered by PhilHealth.

"That’s wrong because this is taxpayers’ money. Our people should have access to PhilHealth. All people should be equal especially as regards health care," Roxas stressed.

Such universal coverage, according to Roxas, will be funded by the national budget through premium payments to PhilHealth.

"This is very important for us. We will exert all our effort and focus on this advocacy," he added.

Providing universal health coverage for all Filipinos would be one of the most effective means to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, adding that this goes hand-in-hand with the implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Law which he primarily authored.
"That is our program. Experts on finance and public health have conducted a study about it and their finding was that in three years, we can give 100 percent coverage to all Filipinos," Roxas said. /MP