Universal healthcare law signed

Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte recently signed the Universal Healthcare Law.
Speaking to members of the Philippines’ House of Representatives after signing the bill, Duterte said, “By automatically installing our citizens into the National Health Insurance Program and expanding health coverage to include free medical consultations and laboratory tests, the Universal health care law that I signed today will guarantee equatable access to quality and affordable healthcare services for all Filipinos.”

Under the Universal Health Care Law, all Filipinos will be automatically enrolled in the proposed National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) either as direct or indirect contributors.

Direct contributors are defined as those who can pay health premiums while indirect contributors are those sponsored such as senior citizens. The law also expands Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) coverage to include free consultation tests and other diagnostic services.

Under the bill, Filipinos will now have access to a full spectrum of health care, including preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care for medical, dental, mental, and emergency health services.

Direct contributors will also get more benefits as premiums increase.

PhilHealth payments for local government unit (LGU) hospitals will also be set aside in a special fund to improve health facilities.